


A Divergence of Dragons

by spirithorse



Category: Code Geass
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Game of Thrones Fusion, M/M, Mpreg, Non-Linear Narrative
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-21
Updated: 2019-05-05
Packaged: 2019-08-05 07:47:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 46,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16363784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spirithorse/pseuds/spirithorse
Summary: A mission to rescue his sister from an unwanted marriage turns into a dalliance with a foreign prince, which turns into a position across the Narrow Sea and a new court to learn the rules of. But Lelouch is nothing if not adaptable.Inspired by touchreceptor's A Dawn of Wyverns.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [touchreceptors](https://archiveofourown.org/users/touchreceptors/gifts).
  * Inspired by [A Dawn of Wyverns](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4883062) by [touchreceptors](https://archiveofourown.org/users/touchreceptors/pseuds/touchreceptors). 



> Touchreceptors has graciously allowed me to do an AU of her fic A Dawn of Wyverns so I thank her for that. It was completely inspired by one throw away line from the original “Were he not exiled, were he to have had knights around his age who would have enjoyed a tumble and only increased their devotion to him while the affection lasted.” I will be trying to adhere to the rules she had set up for this universe, but I can’t guarantee that some of my own ideas won’t leak in. 
> 
> Also, you may have seen parts and pieces of this up here and on tumblr. That was before I thought it was going to be A THING that I would enjoy coming back to. Since then it has become A THING I write when I'm not focused on longfics and I was tired of long chains of links. Therefore, I'm putting it up here, editing the old parts to fit and sliding in some new things.

Lelouch looked away from the carefully orchestrated swirl of people in the throne room below him as he heard footsteps approach. He took a half step to the side, watching as Schneizel leaned on the closest column instead on the railing. Lelouch gave his half-brother a slow nod before looking back down at the opening maneuvers of the morning court. 

It was still early enough that it was mostly idle talk instead of what the morning court actually was; an elaborate showing of old traditions and magnanimous decisions made by the emperor. Of course, those same decisions had been made in the Small Council and individual meetings days before, but it was the gesture that meant more than anything and the nobles were always happy for it. Lelouch wasn’t sure if it reassured them that the empire was running as it should be or if it led them to believe that still had a hand in the government as the leading families.

He huffed, ignoring the chiding sound that Schneizel made. His half-brother knew the situation just as well as he did. Schneizel didn’t pretend to lose himself in the court traditions, Schneizel was cannier than that. Some of his other siblings hadn’t seemed to learn that lesson yet. Lelouch turned his head so he could look at where Clovis was throwing himself fully into the ceremony. From the way that Clovis was carrying on, he was trying to win the attention of one of the ladies.

Lelouch sighed and resettled himself against the railing, giving the court a long look over. He had intended to take stock of how things lay, and maybe nudge more people into seeing things his way. The rumors weren’t just rumors any longer, not when a letter had come to Aries Villa sealed by Earl Bartley.

If it had meant to be a friendly letter, it had missed its mark, especially when Bartley had taken the time to lay out the arrangement for his marriage to Nunnally. Lelouch curled his hands into fists, breathing out slowly. There was no doubt in his mind that it was a marriage agreement arranged by his father, a way to bring Deira back under control. After all, half of the kingdom belonged to Nunnally by right. The other half that was his could be given away as soon as he stepped out of line, and Charles zi Britannia could find plenty of excuses for that. It would leave Deira back in the hands of the empire instead of nominally under his control, which would please everyone in this room.

It had been hundreds of years but people still whispered about the strange people and creatures of the northern kingdom. Lelouch was sure that they expected some kind of frenzied attack on the southernmost kingdoms. This would be a way of reassuring his nobles, marrying Nunnally off to a minor southern lord who was too old and too loyal to be a problem.

Or maybe that was the Small Council’s contribution. Charles would be happy enough teaching his son a lesson after all that Lelouch had done to spite him.

Lelouch took a deep breath, letting it out in a rush as the smells of the room became too overwhelming. He would have to take the time to talk to them, and soon if the itching just under his skin meant anything. Still, it would be to his advantage. People always seemed more eager to agree with an omega close to their heat, alpha or beta. There were plenty of deals that he could try. Many of the nobility would love to owe a favor to a prince of Britannia, even if he was further down the line of succession.

After all, familicide was a time honored tradition of the Britannian royal family.

He reached up to rub at his neck, freezing with his hand pressed against a tender section when he heard Schneizel make an amused noise. Lelouch shot his half-brother an annoyed look, almost not surprised by the smug look on Schneizel’s face. If his brother noticed the annoyance on his face, Schneizel didn’t comment on it.

Schneizel just adjusted his stance against the column, his gaze drifting back out to the court below. “You’re cutting it a little fine if you intend to go back to the Aries Villa.”

“Who told you that?”

“It’s your habit, Lelouch. One that you’ve established.” Schneizel raised one shoulder in a shrug, a move that could have been mistaken for him trying to get comfortable against the stone. “It’s where your base of power is. And, of course, your ever loyal knights. And I couldn’t help but notice that you didn’t bring them with you.”

Lelouch flicked his free hand in a dismissive motion, keeping the other hand resting on his neck. He had brought knights as was expected for his station, but none that he had any intention of inviting to his heat. He had tried that once, because when his heats had first started. He had known Ser Jeremiah all his life, and it had seemed like a safe enough choice, right up until the moment the knight had started calling him Marianne.

Everything else had been a fling, untimed and more to bow to the old tradition of reaffirming loyalty than anything else. Both Gino and Milly had been game enough for repeat performances, and they lived far enough away that Lelouch didn’t have them sulking at his heels when his heat was done and his interest wandered.

Lelouch pressed his fingers against the tender spot of his neck, watching Schneizel out of the corner of his eye as he tried to decide what his brother was getting at.

It was technically in Schneizel’s purview to question him about his actions, his half-brother was Hand of the King and Lelouch was technically the Prince of the vi Britannia line, never mind that it had only been created so his father could marry Marianne. Still, Schneizel didn’t usually take too much interest in what Lelouch was doing, if only because their interests usually lined up.

He would have usually waved it off as Schneizel being a caring older brother, something he did in couched terms of diplomacy among the lords of Britannia. But his questions were oddly pointed this time around, like he didn’t care that Lelouch knew what he was angling for.

Lelouch dug his fingers into the skin of his neck before straightening them out. “I have business to attend to here that can’t wait.”

“Business that can’t wait for five days.” Schneizel made a thoughtful noise, leaning slightly over the railing. Lelouch leaned with him, trying to figure out where Schneizel was looking. It was hard when his attention was constantly distracted by one diplomatic contingent. Or rather, who  _wasn’t_  with the diplomatic contingent.

“You’ve been more regular with your court apperances since the Ashigaru party arrived.” Lelouch jumped at the sound of Schneizel’s voice so close to him. He turned just in time to see Schneizel smile, the one that meant that Lelouch had given him everything that he needed.

Lelouch looked away, but he knew that it was too late by the way that Schneizel chuckled. He tried to ignore the sound, but it was impossible with the way that Schneizel moved closer.

“You’ve been slipping Lelouch. I’ve been able to confirm that the shogun’s son has spent half of his nights here in your room. The other half may be rumors, but I’m inclined to believe them because of the established pattern.”

“Are you asking me to explain myself?”

“No.” Schneizel sighed heavily. “I’m just telling you how obvious you’ve been. Obvious enough for anyone to notice.”

“Is this the Hand of the King asking or the brother?”

“Does it matter? If everyone has noticed, then Father has noticed.”

“Father is too busy with his magic.”

“Not for this.”

Lelouch shrugged, jerking away when Schneizel reached for him. His hand dropped away from his neck. He could feel Schneizel staring at the bruise that Suzaku had left on his neck, not surprised by his brother’s judgment. Lelouch clenched his hand into a fist, wanting to snap at Schneizel that he hadn’t been discrete in his own affairs but that wouldn’t win him anything. At least Kanon was a Britannian and from a minor enough house that he couldn’t use the bond between them to his advantage.

Then again, Lelouch already knew the lectures and warnings he would receive. 

It was alright to invite a kind of interest, but he should focus on winning the loyalty of his own knights. It was his duty as an omega and a prince. Bonds made between his knights and himself should be his first priority, but Lelouch didn’t want to end up like his father, with a harem of knights and consorts that all hung on his every word. 

Lelouch liked his handful of retainers well enough, but not enough to settle.

Suzaku was different because there was no expectation of protections or favors to be returned. He was also one of the few people that Lelouch had taken to bed without really thinking about the possible reasons for the other agreeing. Suzaku had showed no interest in pressing an advantage, he just seemed to be happy to be spending more time with Lelouch. Lelouch would have been suspicious, if Suzaku hadn’t been completely hopeless at hiding his true intentions.

He leaned against the railing, ignoring the court in favor of watching Schneizel. He tipped his head to the side, looking for a tell, but Schneizel’s face was annoyingly blank. Lelouch groaned and shook his head. “You’re not going to talk me out of this.”

“I’m aware, which is why I’m warning you. I can feed Father an excuse, but I don’t think that will hold long.”

“But then Suzaku and the others should be back in Ashigaru.”

“Will they?”

Lelouch kept his mouth shut, not wanting to answer the question. He was sure that Schneizel had already formed an answer for it and there was no talking him out of it.

As far as Lelouch knew, Suzaku intended to go back to his country as soon as peace talks broke down, which they would. Suzaku had sometimes talked about his father, and it was enough to know that Genbu and Charles were too much alike for their own good. If Suzaku wanted to keep Ashigaru out of a war, he would have to go back to counter his father. Which would be a shame, Lelouch liked his company.

Lelouch hummed to himself, reaching up to rub the bruise on the side of his neck. He pressed his fingers against it a little bit just to feel the sting.

The expression on his face seemed to be enough for Schneizel, his half-brother sighing and waving him away. “Think about what I’ve said. It’s advice between brothers, and not an order.”

Lelouch made a noncommittal sound, his attention dragged away from Schneizel at the sight of someone walking down the gallery behind his half-brother. Lelouch leaned out to get a better look at them, ignoring the way that Schneizel laughed. His half-brother had plenty of other things to occupy his time with, as did Lelouch.

He shivered at the itch under his skin, trying to ignore it. At the moment, it was more annoying than anything else, but there would come a point when it became too insistent to ignore. He’d have to make sure that Suzaku knew his intentions by then. After all, he had passed on a chance to go back to Aries Villa for his heat because he knew that his father would never let the delegation leave Pendragon, let alone the shogun’s son.

Lelouch stepped around Schneizel, crossing the distance between him and Suzaku at a pace that was perhaps a bit too fast. But he could blame in on the upcoming heat and the relieved smile that Suzaku gave him. Lelouch couldn’t quite blame either of them for the way that he reached out to touch Suzaku’s arm, nor why he didn’t protest when Suzaku reeled him in. He stopped himself from moving further, the galleries above the court weren’t the best place for this sort of thing, not with so many people watching. And Schneizel had so kindly warned them of what people would think.

He tightened his hold on Suzaku’s arm, taking a step away from the balcony. The morning court was important, but there was nothing for him in it. If he really wanted to know what had happened, he would ask one of the lords in the emperor’s Small Council or Schneizel. His own agenda would have to wait a little longer. Everyone was too distracted by the delegation to pay attention to a prince, and Lelouch had no intentions of wasting an excuse to spend more time with Suzaku, even if it meant giving up the small advantage his heat would give him. He knew the court well, things would hold long enough for him to do this. After all, his father wanted to let Nunnally’s arranged marriage hang over him and watch him squirm.

Lelouch turned his attention back to Suzaku. He tilted his head to the side, watching as Suzaku swallowed when he looked at the bruise he had left that morning. Once he was sure that he had Suzaku’s attention, he smiled at the man, speaking Ashigaru even as he drew Suzaku back into the hallway.  _“Come and show me how a moon loves a sun.”_


	2. Chapter 2

Euphemia paused in the hallway, tilting her head to listen. She couldn’t hear movement on the other side of the door, Euphemia biting her lip. She had been told by the house guards that Lelouch and his escort had gotten in, but she had seen no sign of him, not even at breakfast. The Lelouch she knew would never miss a chance to have breakfast with his sister, no matter what happened. She had watched him limp down the stairs with a broken leg after a fall to sit with his sister before the business of the day took him away. And yet, this time, breakfast and most of the morning had passed without a visit. Nunnally had gone out riding as usual and, as far as Euphemia knew, she planned to carry on business as if Lelouch wasn’t there. The world didn’t stop because Lelouch was off of his schedule.

She sighed and reached to knock on the door, pausing with her head cocked when she heard someone moving. Euphemia knocked again, sighing when there was noise of acknowledgment.

Euphemia pressed her shoulder against the door, swinging it open. She expected to see Lelouch lost in some book or what Nunnally had left for him. Instead, she saw her half-brother sitting on the edge of his bed, looking like he had just woken up. The yawn that followed just proved her right.

Lelouch shook his head, staring at the floor before looking at her. He gave her a lopsided smile, reaching back to rub at his neck. He flinched at something there, Lelouch lowering his hand in the next moment. “Am I late?”

“Yes.” Euphemia stepped into the room, surprised at the mess. Her gaze lingered over the saddlebags thrown to one side and the trunk partially opened. “You missed most of the morning.”

Lelouch stared at her for a moment before shooting to his feet. He turned to look out of the window, his mouth falling open. “But…I…Nunnally-”

“She’s out on her duties for the day. With a suitable number of guards.” Euphemia smiled as Lelouch relaxed. She waved a hand at him, walking over to sit down on the stool he kept in the corner of his room. She tucked her skirts in around her legs, watching as Lelouch went to stare out the window. “It was a while ago.”

She couldn’t see Lelouch’s face, but she was sure that he was frowning. Lelouch stared out the window for a long time before turning around to look at her, a hint of embarrassment on his face. “You could have come and gotten me.”

“We didn’t know, at least not until Nunnally went out to her horse. Then we noticed that you were back.” Euphemia paused, tipping her head to the side. “When did you get back?”

“Late. Late enough for it to be early.” Lelouch ran a hand down his face. He turned to look around the room before making a vague motion. “I didn’t want to wake either of you up, so I thought that I would just unpack and then be down to meet with you, as a surprise.”

Lelouch smiled at her, probably thinking that it would settle as an apology. Euphemia just lifted her eyebrow, settling with her back against the wall.

Lelouch turned away, apparently ready to start unpacking. She watched as he walked over to the trunk that had been brought in, Euphemia raising her eyebrow. That it was there meant that everything and everyone he had taken with him had come back at the same time. She eyed the trunk and saddlebags before shaking her head. “What possessed you?”

Lelouch paused in the act of opening the trunk. He stared at her for a moment before shrugging casually, a little too casually. Lelouch was a consummate liar, it came with dealing with anyone in their family. It was all carefully worded phrases and half-truths. Euphemia could manage to keep up with them, but she always felt exhausted after a few days and then started letting things slip. Lelouch seemed to thrive on that atmosphere. If his grudge against their father and at least half of the court wasn’t so strong, Euphemia expected that he would be in Pendragon more often. Then again, she couldn’t imagine him leaving Nunnally for that long.

She sighed when Lelouch went back to rummaging through his trunk, Euphemia just barely stopping herself from tapping her foot. “Lelouch.”

He gave her a guilty look before straightening up. “I just wanted to get home. The seas were rough all the way up to Portsmouth and everyone was sick.”

Euphemia opened her mouth to ask for more, but the glare that Lelouch sent her answered her question. When he said everyone, he meant everyone. She shifted in place before giving him a little motion to go on.

Lelouch went back to his unpacking, although it looked like he was just shifting things around. Euphemia was willing to wait him out. If he didn’t talk to her now, then she would never get a straight answer. If he was avoiding it now, then he would definitely avoid it when Nunnally came back.

If she had to sit through his bland, Nunnally-approved answers, she would scream.

Euphemia leaned forward, conjuring the best Cornelia-like glare of disapproval. From the way that Lelouch hunched his shoulders, he felt it.

Lelouch resisted it for a moment longer before he sighed and dumped an armful of clothing on the bed. Euphemia glanced over, her eyes widening as she saw a bright flash of color among Lelouch’s clothes. She sat up to get a better look at it, surprised when Lelouch was quick to shove it under the rest of the clothes.

He rounded on her, his eyes wide. Lelouch cleared his throat, moving to sit very gingerly on the bed. “We were a few hours away when the sun was going down, not enough to bother stopping. I had been away longer than anticipated, and it didn’t feel right to leave this all up to Nunnally.”

Euphemia hummed. It sounded close enough to the truth, at least for Lelouch. She could coax the rest out of him later, maybe when he didn’t look like he was going to fall asleep on his feet. Besides, it would give her a good chance to look at the bright strip of fabric that he had hidden away.

She leaned forward, ignoring proper posture to settle comfortably. “I don’t think she’d mind. She’s enjoying herself now.”

“Is she?” Lelouch paused with an armful of clothes.

Euphemia nodded, giggling when the clothes slid out of his hands. She heaved herself up, quickly stepping over to help him. Euphemia scooped up the clothes, using the moment to glance back at the bed. When she stood up, she stepped back towards the bed, watching as Lelouch stared at the armful of clothes. Euphemia bit her lip to keep from laughing at him, taking a few more breaths before nodding at the clothes in Lelouch’s arms. “You know, it’s probably best to just wash them.”

She meant it as a quick aside, and certainly not for Lelouch to blush bright red and look away. Euphemia watched as he bustled around, not really doing much of anything. It was enough to get her to shake her head.

Euphemia adjusting the clothes in her arms, backing further back towards the bed. She tried to look surreptitiously as she looked at what was left, quickly spotting the bright splash of color among Lelouch’s clothes. She dropped her pile on the bed, reaching out for it as she talked. “Nunnally seems excited to have a job, and it’s given her time to keep working with her mare. And the people adore her.” Euphemia reached for the fabric, pulling it free. “She has a few plans she wants to run by you.”

“Why?”

“You are the oldest, and the Prince of Deira. The things have to be approved by you.” Euphemia quickly tucked the fabric behind her as Lelouch turned around to look at her. Euphemia smiled back at him. “And you have more experience. She wants to be sure that this will work.”

“I gave her my authority while I was gone.”

“Yes, but she feels she has to work harder to match that.”

Lelouch’s eyes widened before he cursed, shaking his head. “She shouldn’t have to. Deira is as much hers as it is mine. She’s the heir to it after all.”

Euphemia nodded, playing with the strip of fabric behind her back. It felt silky between her fingers, Euphemia feeling patches of embroidery. It was interesting but not enough to distract her. “Lelouch, she wants to be ready for when she isn’t.”

Lelouch tensed, his exhaustion disappearing in the face of his anger. “That’s not going to happen.”

Euphemia perked up. “You talked Father out of it?”

The stricken look on his face was answer enough. Euphemia sat down heavily on the edge of Lelouch’s bed, watching as Lelouch dropped his armful of clothes on the floor.

He took a couple of steps back to lean against the wall. “Father was busy the entire time I was there. There was a delegation from Ashigaru there.”

The name rolled off his tongue, Euphemia cocking her head to the side. For a moment, she didn’t recognize the name, it was nothing like the way Cornelia or how the others said it. She closed her fingers more tightly around the fabric, watching Lelouch as he went on.

“I tried to get to him through other channels, but he’s gotten worse. All the cares about are magic texts, like the ones that C.C. used to have. The Small Council is running everything when they can get away with it. When they can’t…” Lelouch made a disgusted face. “He spent the entire time insulting their…king and country. It’s a miracle war wasn’t declared.”

“You wouldn’t have anything to do with that, would you?”

Euphemia meant it as a tease, but Lelouch blushed bright red. He turned away quickly to dig through the trunk. Euphemia watched as he started lining things up on a small table, understanding filtering in slowly.

She pulled the strip of fabric out from behind her back, looking down at it. It was a beautiful teal color with brightly colored birds embroidered on it. They were all in flight, Euphemia petting the neck of one that curved onto the other side of the fabric. It was beautiful, but nothing like the style that she saw around Barcheley Castle or Pendragon for that matter. It might be coming in on the trading boats, but that didn’t explain why Lelouch would have it. A present for Nunnally was one thing, but he seemed to be focused on hiding it from everyone.

Euphemia twisted it in her hands, pausing when she caught the scent of something. It was buried underneath the pine needle scent from the packets that were packed into the trunks, beneath the faint scent of the sea and the mess that Euphemia came to associate with Pendragon. She twisted it again, tipping her head to catch the scent again. One part of it was unfamiliar, but there was another part that she recognized.

She had spent much of her childhood at the Aries Villa, despite her mother’s protests that Lady Marianne was not a suitable woman to be looking after her and Cornelia. The two of them had still come, Cornelia to learn how to be a knight and her to play with her two half siblings. Euphemia had long since lost count of the times that she had been at the castle, so it would have been more surprisingly if she managed to miss one of the two of them either going into, in the middle of or coming out of heat.

Lelouch himself had asked her to come and visit with Nunnally before his first heat, so his sister wouldn’t be alone. They had spent the week tiptoeing through the corridors of the castle, trying to ignore the sounds and scents they caught or the conspicuous absence of Ser Jeremiah. After that, Euphemia was sure that she knew what the scent of honeyed milk, lavender and grass meant. The problem was the other scent, the one that was an unfamiliar alpha and made her stomach twist.

Euphemia looked up sharply at her brother, not liking the way that he wasn’t looking at her. She took a deep breath to clear her nose, chasing away the scent of wood and grass. She let the strip of fabric rest over her lap, watching Lelouch carefully.

He was still purposefully not looking at her, although she could see the tension starting to build in his shoulders. Euphemia waited until he was back to digging through his trunk before speaking.

“So, how did this miracle happen?”

Lelouch’s shoulders twitched, although he was quick to turn around. He set the jar in his hands on the table, Euphemia staring at it for a moment before looking back at Lelouch.

Lelouch tipped his chin up. “The Small Council isn’t going to charge into war, not all the way on Essos. They barely want to exert efforts to keep the old colonies in line. Why should they try to attack an entire country?”

“What about the Ashigaru?” Euphemia tried to imitate the way that Lelouch had said the word, but she was sure that she fell short.

Lelouch shook his head. “Their shogun is hot headed enough to try, but the _daimyos_ that were with him are more sensible and his son,” Lelouch smiled to himself, his gaze going distant before he remembered himself. “His son isn’t keen on war either.”

Euphemia leaned forward. “How much convincing did you need to do?”

She expected another evasive answer. She looked forward to it. There was something in that smile that she wanted to get into, but that would take careful questioning since this was Lelouch. He would happily dodge everything she asked him unless it was phrased right.

Euphemia took a deep breath, about to launch into her next question when she realized that Lelouch was silent. She glanced up at him, her eyes widening when she saw that his gaze was fixed on the fabric in her lap. Euphemia looked down at it, glancing over the bright birds before something clicked in her head.

“You came to some agreement with them. Had them pledge their loyalty?”

“No!” Lelouch recoiled, although he couldn’t quite meet her gaze.

Euphemia didn’t know what he was embarrassed about, it was common enough. The seven kingdoms had been founded by omegas who had gathered warriors to them. Euphemia had grown up on stories about how their loyalty was gained with gifts of land and favors of their leader. It wasn’t a way to gain influence, but it was a show of trust, especially during a heat. And Lelouch had come back to Aries Villa smelling of a heat, which was strange enough when he preferred to stay in the comfort of his own home.

Euphemia ran her fingers over the fabric again. “Was this for Nunnally?”

“No!” Lelouch stepped forward to snatch the fabric out of her lap. Euphemia leaned after it, about to snatch it back when Lelouch stepped out of her reach. She expected him to throw the fabric somewhere she wouldn’t see it, but he started wrapping it around his arm instead.

Lelouch swayed in place before shaking his head. “I wasn’t looking to stop anything with Ashigaru. I went for Nunnally. I had hoped that there were a few lords and ladies who had children the right age who would consider courting her.” He spat the words out like they were a curse, but he quickly recovered. “That would at least give me time to do something.”

“And give her the choice.”

Lelouch nodded, although he seemed a bit distracted. He kept stroking the strip of fabric, staring down at it like it held all of the answers.

Euphemia stood up, crossing the room to stand in front of him. “What did you find out?”

“That the Ashford’s disgrace still weighs heavily on their minds. That and they are not fond of Deira. We’re too far north to be one of the rest of them. And they see nothing in Nunnally.” Lelouch shook his head. “The south has been flourishing, lately, there’s plenty of good pickings down closer to home.”

“I’m sorry.”

Lelouch nodded to acknowledge her, turning to walk over to the window. He sighed and leaned against the wall, looking far more tired than she had ever seen him. Then again, he had spent a fruitless month in Pendragon, a place he hated, working with people that hated him. And during his heat. Then again, it might not have all been a struggle.

Euphemia looked back at the fabric wrapped around his arm. “What’s that from? I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Lelouch turned to look at her before looking down at the fabric. “Oh, it’s from Ashigaru.”

“It’s a gift?”

“Yes.” The blush rose on Lelouch’s cheeks again, Euphemia giggling at the sight of it.

She stepped closer to him, hoping to needle him more when she caught sight of something hidden under Lelouch’s hair.

It blended in well enough, as dark as it was. Euphemia tipped her head to the side, reaching out to brush Lelouch’s hair away. She must have touched the spot because Lelouch jerked like he had been startled, jumping and turning away from her. He clapped his hand over the spot on the back of his neck, but Euphemia had seen enough of it.

It was an old bruise, just barely purple in the very center and already fading to yellow on the outer edges. From the way it had healed, Euphemia was sure that it had been bigger before. And it was in the perfect position, right on the nape of his neck. The perfect place for an alpha to bite down.

She realized she was blushing, Euphemia clearing her throat and taking a quick step back. “So…it wasn’t all a disappointment?”

She heard Lelouch shifting in place before he finally sighed. “No. I might not have managed to interest anyone in helping Nunnally or I…but I might have helped with Ashigaru. Or at least made our future with them a little better.”

“Oh, the prince!” Euphemia grinned at Lelouch. “What was he like?”

Lelouch’s gaze went distance, Euphemia sure that he wasn’t aware of the smile that started to cross his face. “Curious, refreshing, gentle…strong.”

The last word came out with emphasis, Euphemia pressing her hands over her mouth. Lelouch hadn’t left much to the imagination with that, and the bruise on the back of his neck confirmed it. This prince of Ashigaru, whoever he was, had been enough to work through Lelouch’s defenses, at least enough for him to forget himself.

She lowered her hands enough to be able to speak. “So, you enjoyed a trip to Pendragon for once?”

“Well,” Lelouch started unwinding the fabric from around his arm, “it was a more involved dalliance, yes.” He paused to shot her a glare. “And that’s all you will be getting from me.”

“Lelouch…”

He waved her away. “If you’re going to gossip, help me unpack.”

Euphemia looked around, shaking her head. “Most of these have to be washed or given a good airing.”

“Then call for baskets.” Lelouch threw the fabric over his shoulder, clearly intending to keep it close. It was a shame, she wouldn’t have minded getting another look at the bright birds on it.

She stepped out of the way as Lelouch walked past her, yelping as her foot knocked against the table. She reached out to catch herself, her fingers knocking against the small pot that Lelouch had set there. Euphemia slapped her hand against the table, bracing herself against it before lunging to grab the pot as it started to topple.

Euphemia managed to catch it before it hit the ground, but not before a small amount of the leaves and herbs spilled out as the top became dislodged from the jarring.

She froze, watching the table to see if anything else fell off. Euphemia only looked away when Lelouch called for her.

“Euphy?”

She looked up at the messy pile of clothes he was holding, giving Lelouch a smile. “Forgot about the table.”

Lelouch sighed, slumping back against the wall. He looked her up and down, Euphemia holding still for the once over. It had to be an older sibling response, because Cornelia did much of the same. When she was sure that she had given Lelouch enough time, she straightened up, giving the table a glance and sighing. Everything that had been on it was now scattered around, some of the items now on the floor. Thankfully, she had caught what looked to be the most fragile one.

“I’m fine. Let me just clean this up though.” Euphemia looked over at the pot in her hands, shaking her head at the lid. “This one’s not secure though.”

“Put it on the shelf then.” Lelouch shifted the clothes in his arms. “I’ll have to go talk to Maester Lloyd anyway. I’d like him to look at my guard. The seas were unexpectedly rough.”

“And you pushed them hard.”

Lelouch sighed, acknowledging her point with a tip of his head. Euphemia waiting for a moment for something more before giving up. Lelouch would make it up to the men and women in some way. Besides, Euphemia was sure that most of them were more than happy after so long in the capital.

The guard of the Aries Villa was made up of Deira folk, born and bred. To go to the south and the capital would be like visiting a different world. Euphemia had heard plenty of the people of Deira talking with longing about their home. It baffled most southerners, but Euphemia could see the sense in it. There was something about the pine forests and the rolling hills that were just as dear as the fields of golden, waving wheat back in Mierce.

She looked down at the herbs in her hand, about to tip them back into the jar when she stopped. There was a curl of a leaf that she recognized, Euphemia looking at it before raising the herbs to her nose. She took a deep breath, bitter scent overwhelming, more like the one she had come to associate with teas for pain. Ser Guildford would drink them from time to time, when his old leg injury started acting up and Nunnally had some always at the ready. She might have been spared the pain of anything below her waist, but there were complications that came with her injuries, pain along her back and in her arms for the compensation that she had to do.

Euphemia stared down at the herbs, tipping her hand to roll them back towards the center of her palm. She studied them for a moment before stepping to look over at Lelouch’s trunk. It was a strange place for the little pot of painkiller tea, especially when it would be easier to carry it in the saddlebags wrapped up in a shirt. It would be easier to get there. Lelouch had packed it away like he hadn’t needed it and then complained of being seasick.

She hummed, tipping the herbs back in. Euphemia was tapping the stopper back in when Lelouch came over to get the next armful of clothes.

He gave her a quick glance before raising an eyebrow. “It’s just the suppressant.” He grunted as he lifted the next armful of clothes out. “I know Lloyd has a reputation for experimentation, but he sticks close to the recipe for that.”

Euphemia gave Lelouch a sharp look, her gaze darting to the bright fabric still draped over his shoulder. Her mouth fell open slightly as she clenched her hand around the little clay pot. Lelouch had said an involved dalliance, whatever that meant to him specifically. But the fabric had smelled of him and another alpha. And he had packed the little pot of bitter tea away as soon as he had finished his heat.

She curled her fingers around the pot, remembering the sharp bitter smell, because that wasn’t right. The suppressant tea did have a hint of bitterness, but it was never like that. It had to taste good enough for an omega to want to drink it over their heat, drink it and maybe linger over it for the days before and after. A maester or omega’s personal preference of flavoring aside, a suppressant tea was _never_ that bitter.

“Lelouch,” her voice squeaked over his name, “it isn’t.”

“Isn’t?” Lelouch glanced down at the pot in her hand in confusion. “But I got it from Maester Lloyd before I left. It was on his table where it always was.”

Euphemia looked down at the pot, turning it in her hands. Lloyd always labeled them somewhere on the clay, Euphemia had seen one clearly on the new batch of tea that he had made Nunnally just yesterday. His handwriting might have been hard to read, but the two of them had lived with Lloyd practically all their lives. They would be able to decipher it.

The clay surface was blank, Euphemia running her finger over the gentle curve of it as she looked up at Lelouch. “Directly from him.”

“No. I was in a rush and he was busy.” Lelouch paused, throwing her a suspicious look. “Why?”

“Suppressants don’t smell this.”

“Like what?”

Euphemia pried the top off again, holding it out to him. “Like this. It’s too bitter.”

Lelouch frowned and dropped his armful of clothes. He stepped around them to take the pot from her. He lifted it up and examined it carefully. “Bitter? It usually reminds me of…”

Lelouch took a deep breath, his eyes widening.  “Mint.”

Euphemia nodded. “Nunnally has another one of these. It’s in the hall if you want to compare them.”

“No I…it’s never smelled like that.” Lelouch turned to set the pot down, staring at it.

Euphemia shook her head. “You didn’t notice it before.”

“No, I was…distracted. Before and after.” Lelouch made a motion like he was going to dismiss the idea, but he froze part of the way through it. He stayed like that for a moment before turning to look at her. “Euphy…”

Euphemia pressed her hands over her mouth, taking in his panicked expression. She was sure that she had a similar one. The tea would have helped, but not with the main problem. Suppressants made it possible to function without the overwhelming rush of a heat, but they also helped lessen the chance of a pregnancy. There was always a chance - a slim one - that nothing would come of it. But that chance was better if Lelouch hadn’t spent every day of his heat with the prince of Ashigaru. Then again, judging by the expression on Lelouch’s face it was just had he said. Before, during and after.

She reached out for him as he swayed in place, quick to pull him over to the bed. Euphemia practically had to shove him down onto it, although she doubted that Lelouch even noticed. He was staring at the wall, his expression pure horror.

Euphemia dropped to sit beside him, draping her arm over his shoulders. “Lelouch?”

“This…this is a complication.” He sounded distant, like the words were coming automatically.

Euphemia just made a nose of agreement before scooting closer.

There would be a plan, she was sure of it, but that would come later. Right now, Lelouch just needed someone to sit with him, both here and when he told Nunnally. Euphemia would make sure of that, because Nunnally deserved to know. It would mean extending her stay, but Euphemia thought that it was warranted. This was more important than the jousts and feasts that would be waiting for her back home.

Euphemia got a better hold on Lelouch’s shoulder, holding him close as he processed the problem, listening for the sound of Nunnally returning from her duties.


	3. Chapter 3

Schneizel was woken up by three things in quick succession.

The first was a knock on his door, followed closely by the heavy wooden door creaking open.

The third was Kanon throwing himself bodily on top of him.

Schneizel grunted as Kanon landed on him, just barely pressing his head back into the pillow in time to avoid the knife that Kanon drew. He stared at the dark shape above him, feeling more than hearing the low, rumbling growl that came from the alpha.

He allowed himself a moment to glory in it before he turned his head to look back at the person standing in the half shadows by his door. “This is a surprise, Lelouch.”

His younger brother slipped further into the room, Schneizel sure that Lelouch was glaring at Kanon, not that Schneizel could blame him. Then again, he wasn’t about to blame Kanon from his reaction. There had been too many assassination attempts for him to order Kanon to stop. Besides, there was something more animal in him that enjoyed behind pressed down against the bed. There was no one that dared challenge him outside of his bedroom, and Schneizel didn’t dare allow it. If people believed that the Hand of the King could be swayed then Schneizel was sure that everything would start to fall apart. 

After all, Charles had made it perfectly clear that he didn’t care about in intricate workings of the empire, just as long as it didn’t interfere with his magic and little wars.

He sighed and reached up to push on Kanon’s shoulder. Kanon’s growl deepened for a moment before he gave in and rolled away. Schneizel could hear him rustling on the other side of the bed, but he ignored the sound in favor of grabbing a robe from the floor and wrapping it around himself.

He slid out of bed, looking over at where Lelouch was circling his desk. Schneizel narrowed his eyes but didn’t rush to cover anything. That would make Lelouch more suspicious. Besides, he was sure that the light was too dim for Lelouch to see anything.

Schneizel walked over to lean against the desk, watching as Lelouch immediately turned to face him. One of his arms was slung over his stomach, Lelouch drumming his fingers against it for a moment before he let go of that arm and pulled something from the pouch he wore on his belt. There was a rustle, Schneizel narrowing his eyes. He gave up trying to see in the dark and leaned over to light a candle. 

It took a moment of him fumbling around in the dark to light the candle, Schneizel blinking rapidly in the light. He pushed away from the desk, watching as Lelouch leaned over to set the paper down. Schneizel took the chance to look over Lelouch, frowning when he saw that his half brother wasn’t in his usual finery. If that wasn’t enough of a hint, then the fact that he was at Pendragon out of season was enough.

He cocked his hip against the desk, not really reading the paper. Instead, he looked Lelouch up and down before clearing his throat. “Traveling.”

“I had to get here.” The words were strangely defensive, Schneizel raising an eyebrow. Lelouch held himself tense for a moment before leaning forward to brace himself on the desk.

He stayed there for a moment before shaking his head. “I’m not going to beg, but I do need your help. It’s about Nunnally.” Lelouch paused to take a deep breath. “And the marriage arrangements.”

Schneizel frowned and drummed his fingers against the table.

The talks about Nunnally’s marriage had been quiet, suspiciously so. Schneizel was sure that Charles was arranging it just to get rid of an extra child and to get her out of the line of succession. That it would annoy Lelouch was a bonus.

Schneizel hummed to himself, leaning over to look at the document that Lelouch had brought with him. He raised an eyebrow, leaning closer as he started to read over it. It was a simple enough request, something that he was often brought to him as Hand of the King, but it was usually during the day time.

He reached out to drag his fingers over a certain line, looking back up at Lelouch. “You want to split your hereditary lands.”

His brother shrugged. “I have more than enough. After all, Mother managed to get so much from Father and from the marriages into her family. It will take some of the pressure off of my back.”

“And it gives Nunnally Tintagel.” Schneizel laughed and rocked back onto his heels, watching the smile cross Lelouch’s face. “Father has read his history.”

“But does he remember it?”

Schneizel huffed, but didn’t bother to answer. If their father didn’t know, then he would find it out when he tried to move forward. 

Splitting his lands between himself and Nunnally was a smart move, especially since all of Marianne’s lands had gone to her firstborn upon her death. He had never expected Lelouch to leave Nunnally with nothing, but he had never expected a division. There were disadvantages, like the influence that Lelouch would have in court, but that wouldn’t matter for Lelouch.

The more interesting thing was the way that Lelouch had divided the land, although he could see why. It was a brilliant move, one that would frustrate their father to no end. But it would leave him exposed.

Schneizel drummed his fingers against the table before shaking his head. “I would have opposed the marriage. It serves no purpose.”

“But would that be enough?” Lelouch shook his head. “I never intended to leave my sister at the mercy of Fortune’s whims just because she had the bad luck to be born second. Besides, having Tintagel makes her safe. Father can’t take back William’s decree, not unless he wants the north rising up against him.”

Schenizel could only nod. Focused on the wars of expansion or not, Charles would notice if an entire section of his empire rose up because their ancient right to self rule was repealed. Schneizel wasn’t even sure if Parliament would allow Charles to do that, not when they would risk civil war.

The lands around Tintagel had risen up many times before, and always when a king had tried to force their hands. They hadn’t had to carry out the threat after the first time, when Britannia had nearly become a fractured empire, the threat was enough now.

Schneizel hummed to himself, turning away from his desk as he turned the idea over in his mind. 

People had been furious when Marianne had gotten the rights to the land, but the anger had disappeared when Lelouch had inherited the lands. No one had been annoyed by him simply because they weren’t afraid that he would throw his influence around, especially because Lelouch preferred to remain at his main household in the Aries Villa.

As far as he could see, people would have even less of a problem with Nunnally as the Lady of Tintagel. She was already well respected in her lands, and she seemed to get far better results from them than any of the other lords of Britannia. It would be a good choice, and it would save her from a horrible marriage. Better still, it would mean that the Lady of Tintagel will owe him, which was a good position to be in considering Charles’ current focus.

He glanced over at Kanon, getting a sleepy blink in response. Schneizel smiled at him and motioned for his aide to go back to bed. Kanon shook his head, obviously trying to draw himself up into the proper form. 

Schneizel sighed and turned back to look at Lelouch, trying to figure out where Lelouch was going with his offer. 

It was very likely that Lelouch was just doing this for Nunnally, but Schneizel was sure that Lelouch would have approached him differently. The division of his lands wasn’t urgent, not when they both knew that Charles had other things occupying his attention. Schenizel would have pushed the request through no matter what time he got it, and Lelouch would have known that. It was all a matter of what Lelouch wanted from this obvious disadvantage.

He narrowed his eyes, studying Lelouch for a moment before sitting down in his chair. He reached forward to grab his quill, stopping himself before he could pull it free from where it rested. “And what do you get out of this Lelouch?”

“What?” Lelouch jumped, Schneizel raising an eyebrow at the nervous action. 

His little brother was usually better at hiding his tells. In the court it was often a matter of life and death. Even if they were on good terms, it was just bad bargaining. 

Schneizel tapped the edge of his quill against the inkwell, not letting the tip drop in. “You have better things to do than wake me up in the middle of the night. So, what do you want?”

Lelouch stared at him, Schneizel watching him way in place. Lelouch looped an arm over his stomach again, straightening his back and giving Schenizel a glare. That looked more like the Lelouch that he knew, but it wasn’t enough to mollify him. 

Schneizel tapped the quill against the side of the ink pot again, smiling when Lelouch finally gave in.

“It’s less of what I want and what I can do for you.”

“Go on.”

“It’s no secret that the talks with Ashigaru went badly.” Schneizel gave Lelouch a long look at that, but he didn’t interrupt. Lelouch nodded at him before taking a deep breath. “Father might not have noticed, but we need them, if not against the Chūgoku than against the lords who hold land across the sea. They’ve started to refuse to return when the emperor calls and I heard enough rumors to believe that they’re plotting to throw us into a war with Avrupa, and I’m sure that most of the lords here will not support Father.”

Schneizel remained silent, because there was a no point in correcting information that they both knew to be true. 

Lelouch swayed in place before pacing over to the window to look out of it. He must not have seen whatever he was looking for because he turned away to start pacing by the windows. 

“I’m aware that father will be less than pleased with me for what I’ve done, which is why it might be best for me to be out of the country. Besides, what other ambassadors do you have? No one currently is even competent in the language except for me. And no one really bothered to interact with them because they saw the way that Father was behaving. If you sent anyone there, you would lose a year or two on them just getting acclimated to the country.”

“What do I get if I send you?”

“Someone competent for one, and not tied to Father’s agenda.” Lelouch paused to look back at him, Schneizel waving a hand to award Lelouch his point. 

Lelouch grinned at him before turning to keep pacing. “You’ll be sending a prince, which is a show of great respect and trust, especially after what happened before they left. I can get you a firm alliance with them.” When Schneizel didn’t immediately respond, Lelouch strode across the room to lean on the desk. “If you do this for me, I’ll make sure that you have a firm and lasting alliance with Ashigaru within six months.”

Schneizel stared at Lelouch before ducking his head and scrawling his signature across the bottom of the decree. He blew on the wet ink before lifting the paper up to show Lelouch. When Lelouch nodded, he set the paper back on his desk, reaching over for his seal and wax. 

He kept his gaze on what he was doing until he was warming the wax over the candle he had lit. The time held waiting allowed him to watch Lelouch as his younger brother squirmed. 

Schneizel pressed his lips together, but he didn’t bother to chastise Lelouch. Worried and rushed or not, he should have expected Lelouch to be ready to go whether or not Schneizel agreed to his plan. Schneizel would have been surprised if Lelouch hadn’t had a second plan to give Nunnally half of his lands in case Schneizel didn’t agree to help him. 

If that was the case then his appeal in the middle of the night was part of the plan.

He gave Lelouch an annoyed look before he poured his wax onto the paper. He pressed the seal of the Hand of the King into the wax, probably leaning a bit too heavily on it, but the seal was a sturdy thing. It was more important to give Lelouch an intimidating look, not that he thought that it would actually work. Still, it was the effort that counted and the fact that he could make Lelouch squirm a little longer.

Schneizel lifted his seal up from the wax, barely glancing down at it before transferring the paper to the pile on the side of his desk for collection in the morning. He raised his eyebrows, nodding at Lelouch. “I’ll hold you that that six months.”

“I’ll do it.”

Schneizel sighed and sat back in his chair, staving off a yawn as he waved Lelouch onward. “Go on. The tides should be going out in an hour. It would be a shame if you missed your chance.”

Lelouch nodded and turned on his heel, walking out of the room. Schneizel held himself in his carefully put together position until he heard the door slide back into place, then he slumped back in his chair with a groan.

He glanced at the candle, debating if he should take it as a sign and try to finish off some of the work he had left hanging. He had barely started considering it when he felt Kanon rest a hand on his shoulder. 

Kanon’s hand didn’t linger too long in place before it slid to the back of his neck, Schneizel practically purring as Kanon rubbed circles into the tight muscles there. “Back to bed.”

It should have been a question, but Kanon didn’t bother to make it one. Schneizel was too used to Kanon’s manner to be offended. Besides, he would have been a hypocrite to lecture Kanon on it when he had been the one to encourage it in the first place. It was better to accept it with a nod and lean back into Kanon’s fingers.

He heard Kanon laugh, the pressure increasing slightly. Schneizel was sure that he made a noise of approval at that, but he was too busy enjoying the touch to care. In the confines of his room he could allow himself to let himself relax a little. The only one that could possibly judge him was Lelouch, but his brother had no room to talk.

Schneizel took a deep breath, wrinkling his nose at the faint scent that Lelouch had left behind. It was familiar in a way, but there was something wrong enough to make him notice. Then again, it could have been the stress of setting all of his plans in motion, or Lelouch’s upcoming heat. 

He didn’t have the schedules of all his siblings memorized, there were far too many for that. But he did have a good idea of about when they would happen, which made Lelouch’s move very desperate indeed if he was thinking about traveling during his heat.

Schneizel breathed out, trying to get the scent out of his nose. He was still turning the strangeness of it over in his mind when Kanon moved away.

He opened on eye, hoping to let Kanon know that he did not approve, but the man was already looking over at the document that Lelouch had brought with him.

Kanon played with the edge of the page before shaking his head. “Lelouch must be confident in himself if he’s promised six months. It will take at least three months for him to get to Ashigaru. Unless he can work a miracle, he’ll use up his six months trying to get into the shogun’s good graces.”

“He knows the shogun’s son…intimately.”

Kanon chuckled, shaking his head. “Still, that’s almost too much, even for Lelouch.” Kanon gave the paper one last look before turning and walking back to the bed. “What will you do if he fails?”

“Nothing.” Schneizel waved a hand lazily. “I might make him write a few more reports than necessary, but he’s doing me a favor. There’s no need to punish him for that. Besides, I can expect a firm and lasting alliance from him anyway, even if it does take a few years. I believe Kururugi Suzaku is quite smitten with Lelouch and vice versa. If Lelouch moves as fast as he can, we might get a little dynasty set up over there in two years. Considering how they were before, maybe less.”

Schneizel got up from his chair, stretching his arms over his head. He felt Kanon’s gaze sweep approvingly over him, Schneizel smiling at the attention. Both of them were too tired for anything else, but the appreciation was always welcome. 

He leaned over to blow out the candle before walking over to the bed, leaning his shoulder against one of the posts. He glanced back at the door to see if it was shut before stripping out of his robe and letting it fall to the ground.

Kanon made a sleepy noise of approval, Schneizel shaking his head and coming around the other side of the bed. Kanon was already partially sprawled over the covers and looking half asleep. Schneizel reached out to comb his fingers through Kanon’s hair before he fell sideways into bed.

He nuzzled into his pillow, a stray thought making him smile. Schneizel lifted his head just enough that he wouldn’t be muffled by his pillow. “It’s almost a shame. Lelouch had everything worked out nearly perfectly, but he’ll get there after his heat. He could have used that to his advantage.”

Schneizel chuckled to himself, stopped when he saw Kanon sit bolt upright. He watched Kanon take a few deep breaths before the man shook his head. “It’s not heat.”

“What?”

“Lelouch doesn’t smell like heat.” Kanon seemed to struggle for words for a moment before he rubbed at his nose. “Heat is thicker. This is lighter? It reminds me of my sister.”

Schneizel pushed himself up, trying to run through what he knew about Lelouch even as he continued the conversation. “Your sister?”

“Yes, back when she was…”

Kanon trailed off and gave him a stricken look, Schneizel sure that his own expression matched it as he came to the same conclusion.

“Fuck.” 

Lelouch had given up too much of his advantage, casually throwing things away that Schneizel would have given him anyway. Schneizel thought that he was just getting the better end of the deal, even with the outrageous time that Lelouch had proposed. The outrageously suspicious time.

After all, a marriage would just formalize an alliance, but a child would secure it.

Schneizel groaned and flopped back onto the pillows, slinging an arm over his face. 

Lelouch had managed to beat him again. 


	4. Chapter 4

The training field went silent as Kururugi Tomoe stepped out onto it. Everyone turned to look at her, as she made her way close to the center where Tohdoh was directing maneuvers. 

She stopped before him, waiting long enough for the man to bow before she inclined her head herself, Suzaku catching the smile that flitted across her face before his mother settled back into a manner that was more appropriate for a shogun’s mate.

“I’m afraid I’ll have to steal my son away from you, Master Tohdoh.”

“Of course, my lady.”

Suzaku was already sliding off of Asa’s back and tossing the deer’s reins to Kallen. He didn’t look back to see if she had caught them, it was more pressing not to keep his mother waiting.

Even with the careful language she used, it was clear that there was something important that she wanted him for.

Tomoe gave him a quick glance before turning and walking off, Suzaku waiting for the sweep of her kimono to pass him by before falling into step behind her. 

As he went, he could hear the rest of the riders mumbling to themselves, the gossip wheel already turning. He was sure that Tohdoh would stop them soon enough and turn their attention back to their training, but that didn’t stop his own mind from working.

It was no secret that a caravan had arrived in Edo that morning, moving by horse-drawn carriage and wagons that were a strange sight in Ashigaru. Most work in the city was done with human pulled carts or, if the case warranted it and a permit was had, using the shaggy coated, specially bred Serow. Horses were something used over the sea the great plains to their south and east, and even those were small ponies. These were horses that certainly came from Avrupa, and that meant something important. That meant diplomacy.

Suzaku bit his lip, preferring that to flinching.

His father was not the most diplomatic of men. There were plenty of broken and beaten clans in Ashigaru, a ruined country in Avrupa and the recent diplomatic mess in Westros to prove that. It was why most affairs were handled by Kururugi Genbu’s mate or the six  _Rōjū._ Considering the circumstances, Suzaku would have thought that the delegation would have come to find his mother first, but it was obvious that something had gotten mixed up and it was very likely they had met his father first.

He swallowed and stepped up to walk beside his mother, watching her face for a moment before speaking in a low voice. “How bad is it?”

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye before shaking her head. She reached out to pat his arm, letting her hand linger there for a moment before dropping it away. “It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

That almost made Suzaku laugh, because it was just the answer that he expected of his mother.

Before she had been Kururugi Tomoe, she had been Chōsokabe Tomoe, one of the best o _nna-bugeisha_  to come out of the family. Her father had trained the great Tohdoh Kyoshiro and there had been rumors of a marriage between the two of them until one fateful night. Suzaku still heard his grandfather curse that night, although more because he had lost a capable pair of hands around the estate and a strong warrior than because he regretted the marriage.

According to everything he had heard, his parents had met by chance and then Genbu had demanded Tomoe to prove herself with all the brash posturing of a young son of the shogun. Apparently, he had lasted less than a minute every time he had challenged her. Somewhere between the defeat and the next challenge, they had fallen in love.

Everyone had expected a tempestuous marriage, as it was well known that two alphas would always butt heads, but the two of them managed and managed well. Suzaku couldn’t remember a time when his parents weren’t in love. Most of the supplicants might see the stern shogun and his carefully reserved lady, but the rest of the palace staff knew the truth. It was in the way that Genbu was always resting a hand on Tomoe’s arm or around her waist if he thought they were alone. It was in the way that Tomoe would sit up with him and help him practice speeches or go over lists until they both had it memorized. It was in the chases through the gardens just outside his room that Suzaku tried his best  _not_  to hear. Under any other circumstances, the entire country would have wondered why Suzaku was an only child, save for the fact that it was notoriously hard for alpha women to conceive.

It had taken Tomoe eight years to have him, and there was a small row of three graves to mark what could have been his siblings. Suzaku still remembered peeking into his parents rooms when he was younger to see Genbu pressing kisses to his mother’s face as she had cried.

She still called Genbu her stirrup, the thing that kept her steady and allowed her to preform to her best ability, and it never failed to bring a smile to his father’s face.

He shook his head to clear it, trying to study his mother’s face for more clues but it was frustratingly neutral. Suzaku sighed, looking around at the palace as they approached it. “By handled…”

“I stepped in before it got too difficult to solve. Everything had been put into place and we have a guest waiting for us out in the private garden.” Tomoe turned to look at him, her nose wrinkling. Suzaku was taken aback by her expression, surprised when his mother shooed him off. “Suzaku, you reek!”

“I’ve been training all day.”

“I can see that.” Tomoe scanned him over, reaching out to pick at the sleeve of his kimono. Suzaku was sure that she had immediately spotted the stain from breakfast when he had rushed to finish and get out to practice. He was glad that he wasn’t on her other side, because she’d see the small bloodstain from where Asa had gotten him by surprise that morning. But the bloodstain was hardly the most damning. Suzaku was sure that he had a light coating of dust on him from riding with the rest of the Elite Guard and practicing with them on foot. He was sure that he smelled of deer and sweat too.

His mother dropped his sleeve with a despairing sound. “Just like your father, I swear. You were going to let me walk you right in there like this, weren’t you.”

“No.” Suzaku edged away from her sheepishly. “I just wanted to make sure everything was alright.”

“It’s well in hand.” She made a shooing motion towards him again. “Now go, and for gods’ sake, bathe. I’ll have someone bring you the appropriate clothes. I’ll entertain our guest until you are ready, but don’t dally or get distracted. I’ll send someone after you and they won’t be as nice as I am.”

Suzaku took a step back, intending to run towards the bathhouse but he stopped. He looked back over at his mother, catching the slight movement in her kimono near the hem that mean she was tapping her foot, a sure sign of trouble. Still, he couldn’t leave until he was sure. “Will you be alright?”

“If you don’t take hours.” There was a spark of mirth in her eyes that she didn’t let show on her face. “I am more than capable of handling this, Suzaku. Now go.”

Suzaku didn’t wait to be asked again, sprinting along the side of the castle as he tried to push down his curiosity. He would meet their guest soon enough and, the faster he made himself presentable, the faster he would be able to satisfy his curiosity.

* * *

It was impossible to run in all the exacting layers of the formal kimono, at least not in a way that wouldn’t end up staining it or ruining all the careful folding and tucking. Even in his excitement, Suzaku didn’t dare to anger his mother like that. If she had thought that this arrangement was appropriate, then he wasn’t going to argue, not even when it was similar to what he had wore to the two meetings with prospective mates.

He pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind, settling for a steady walk. He wasn’t running late but he was well aware of the passage of time. His mother couldn’t be expected to entertain their guest forever, and certainly they had to avoid having his father ruin everything that Tomoe was working on. If this was a diplomat from Avrupa or, even better, Westros, then this might be their chance to smooth things over.

Suzaku swallowed and patted down the front of his kimono, his fingers lingering over the delicately embroidered phoenixes that practically blended in with the rest of the fabric. If the formal nature of the outfit wasn’t worrying enough, the particular kimono was, if only because his mother always said that it was the best one he owned because it brought out his eyes.

If she had chosen it for today, then there was a very special reason, and that made him nervous.

He tried to push away his nervousness as he stepped down into the private gardens. He slowed his pace just enough to look around, easily spotting his mother by her colorful clothing. It took him until he was closer to recognize the man kneeling to one side of the table.

Suzaku’s heart skipped a beat, his whole body jerking to a stop as the stared at Lelouch.

Lelouch wasn’t supposed to be here, he was supposed to be waiting back in Westros as bored as he always complained that he was. That he wasn’t made a smile cross his face, the smile only widening when Lelouch looked up at him.

There was no way that the smile that Suzaku saw in response was anything but fond.

He didn’t have long to take it in because his mother was motioning for him to come over, and it was a order he couldn’t ignore. Not when Lelouch was right there.

He walked over, kneeling across from Lelouch without his mother having to tell him where she had placed him in her grand plan. If she smiled at him, he didn’t know because he was too busy staring at Lelouch.

Barely anything had changed since the last time he had seen the prince, save for the fact that he looked more worn. The long trip across the Narrow Sea, then through Avrupa could do that, but that didn’t stop the urge to gather Lelouch into his arms. He wanted to tuck Lelouch against himself and breathe him in, see how well he’d remembered the scent of lavender in the months they had passed since they had last seen each other. It wouldn’t have changed too much, even with the hard travel.

Suzaku hadn’t realized he was leaning over until he felt the prod of his mother’s fan in his side. He glanced over at her, seeing amusement in her eyes before she gave a small shake of her head. That was enough to make Suzaku sit back, trying his best not to slump in disappointment.

So it was to be business then. 

He could handle that, but just barely. He wasn’t sure he could be in the same country as Lelouch without  _wanting_.

He swallowed and bowed his head, giving Lelouch a nod of equals. “Prince Lelouch.”

“I thought I corrected you of that habit while you were in Pendragon.” Lelouch gave him a weary smile. “It’s just, Lelouch, please.”

“Lelouch…” Suzaku found he had nothing else to say. He felt a blush rise along his cheeks, quickly ducking his head before he could say anything more.

He heard Lelouch chuckle, the sound just making him want to edge closer because it was a welcoming sound. He held himself in place, only looking up when his mother cleared her throat.

From the look on her face, she expected something more from him, but Suzaku couldn’t quite tell what. 

Tomoe could carry out whole conversations with her facial expressions, a skill that Suzaku had never quite picked up. He was more like his father, a straightforward soldier. 

She held his gaze for a moment more before sighing and resting her fan on the table. “Prince Lelouch was just telling me that he’s been recently assigned to Ashigaru as official ambassador from Westros.”

Suzaku tensed. “But your father-”

“Is probably glad to be rid of me.” Lelouch took a careful sip of his tea, sighing after he swallowed. “I managed to play a trick on him, one that he won’t appreciate once he finds out.”

Suzaku frowned, trying to work out what Lelouch had meant. He had known the basics of Westrosi politics when he had gone over with his father, but he hadn’t kept up with it. He’d been thoroughly distracted by Lelouch for most of the visit.

Thankfully, Lelouch took pity on him. “There was a matter of my sister's inheritance that needed to be settled and marriage rights. They were settled to both mine and Nunnally’s satisfaction, but not to my father’s. The Hand of the King and I thought it would be best if my…talents were elsewhere. I suggested Ashigaru, since there is much our two countries need to work to understand. Considering my…experience with your people, Schneizel and I thought I would be the best candidate.”

Suzaku was sure that he was blushing now, but he very carefully kept his mouth shut. There was no reason for his mother to find out just what he had gotten up to in Pendragon. Or, at least, not have to acknowledge it. Knowing his father, Genbu had already told her everything that he knew.

He cleared his throat, about to ask after Nunnally when his mother leaned forward. “Would you like some more tea, Prince Lelouch?”

“Please.” Lelouch reached up to rub at his throat. “The road here was very dusty.”

“We’re due for a storm soon enough, if the clouds are threatening right.” Tomoe cast an eye on the clouds, her attention seeming to be taken by them.

Suzaku glanced between her and Lelouch before carefully moving to reach for one of the teapots. He would have thought that his mother would be paying more careful attention to their guest, especially after all the lectures he had sat through.

He eyed both the teapots before taking the one closest to him. From its warmth and the weight to it, it was the freshest of the two. Suzaku eyed the second one, sparing a brief thought to why it was still there. He shifted in place ready to pour for Lelouch when his mother reached out to touch his arm.

“Not that one, Suzaku. That one’s for you.” She nudged his arm back before reaching for the second pot.

Suzaku watched as she poured Lelouch a cup, recognizing the tea by its color and aroma. It was the one that Tomoe used herself and the one was considered the best for the those hoping to become pregnant. 

Or those who were already pregnant.

He set the teapot down more roughly than he had meant to, Suzaku ignoring the clatter and the sharp look that his mother shot him. He was too busy trying to count back the months and days, but the numbers were a jumble in his head. It was all he could do to look Lelouch up and down.

There was a lot hidden by the robe that Lelouch wore, Suzaku’s eyes following the tangled Britannian-style dragons on it without really processing what he was seeing. All that he knew was that it cast Lelouch’s figure into shadow and it was only by looking that he could really see the soft round to Lelouch’s stomach.

He must have made a sound because he felt his mother’s hand on his arm. But he couldn’t look at her, not when Lelouch had gone from confident to worried. 

Lelouch turned his teacup slightly, his gaze fixed on it rather than on him. He remained silent for a moment before speaking slowly and quietly. “I…I don’t mean this as an insult. Or as a snare. I did have to leave Westros for a while, and this was a reason. And I did come here because we desperately needed an ambassador and-”

Lelouch cut himself off, his frown deepening. 

Suzaku found himself leaning forward, waiting for Lelouch’s next words. When they didn’t come, he rocked back onto his heels. He stared at Lelouch for a moment, watching as Lelouch looked between his tea and him. 

There was something in Lelouch’s expression, and that Suzaku couldn’t read it quite right frustrated him.

He considered the proper course of action for a moment before ignoring it. He couldn’t feel his mother’s restraining hand on his arm, nor could he see her out of the corner of his eye. As long as she wasn’t close, he wouldn’t have to stand by protocol.

Suzaku stood up, watching as Lelouch started, his eyes going wide. He held Lelouch’s gaze as he came around the side of the table, dropping to his knees beside Lelouch.

Lelouch twisted to face him, the prince tugging the robe closer to him. It made Suzaku want to nudge it open, but he didn’t dare. Not yet.

He reached out to cup Lelouch’s cheek, breathing a sigh when Lelouch leaned into his palm. He ran his thumb over Lelouch’s lips, watching his expression carefully. “Why did you come here?”

“For every reason I told you…and then some.” Lelouch paused for a moment, his gaze finally flicking up and holding Suzaku’s. “I missed you.”

It was a costly admission, for either one of their positions, but especially for Lelouch. The prince kept himself so guarded and closed in, and the only time Suzaku had heard anything remotely like it had been when Lelouch was sure of his control on the situation. 

This was nothing like those times and there was nothing for him to do but make an admission of equal cost. 

“Will you stay?”

It was a plea, Suzaku not bothering to keep it out of his voice. And, from the way that Lelouch’s eyes went wide, he realized that.

Lelouch seemed more flustered by the question, but at least he didn’t look away.

He kept silent for a long moment before dropping his voice to a whisper. “Do you want me too?”

“Yes.” Suzaku moved his hand so he was cupping the back of Lelouch’s head. “For as long as you want to. Forever. For until the sun goes out and the moon cries for loneliness.”

Lelouch smiled at that, the expression wavering somewhat as he reached out to press a hand over Suzaku’s heart. “Were you doing that?”

Suzaku nodded, inching closer. “I missed my sun and stars.”

Lelouch’s smile grew wider, his fingers curling in the fabric of Suzaku’s kimono. “Show me, my beautiful moon.”

Suzaku didn’t need more encouragement. He pulled Lelouch close, wrapping his arms carefully around Lelouch as he kissed him.


	5. Chapter 5

Tomoe paused in shaking out the kimono in her hands as she heard Genbu starting to mutter to himself. She gave her husband a quick look before turning her attention to the kimono.

She was familiar with the sound, it just meant that Genbu was thinking hard about something, putting words together into phrases so that things would be properly arranged by the time he spoke. Letting him gather his thoughts was better than hearing the familiar refrain that he was just a simple man, a statesman who spoke his mind. When she heard that Tomoe wanted to strangle Genbu’s father, which was not the proper thing to think.

Kururugi Byakko had tried his best to raise his son with an indifferent wife, the clans of Ashigaru threatening open rebellion, and the Britannian holdings in Essos encroaching. Genbu had spent most of his younger days as a soldier, which had just fed that idea. Tomoe was sure that he never quite thought of himself as shogun. Kururugi Byakko had left a deep shadow.

Tomoe stared down at the kimono in her hands, going still as she heard Genbu sigh. She glanced over at him, shaking her head as she watched Genbu absently trying to put on the kimono.

“I’m not sure about this.”

Tomoe raised an eyebrow, looking him up and down. “That’s mine, dear.”

“Oh!” Genbu glanced down at the patterned fabric before holding it out.

Tomoe exchanged it for the one that she had been shaking. She shrugged in on quickly, searching for her obi. Tomoe hesitated long enough to watch Genbu pull his clothes back on, regretting the brevity moment that they had stolen for themselves. It was probably just her imagination that they had had more time when they were younger. Maybe that was just the illusion of memory.

She tugged her obi closed, looking back up at her husband as he cleared his throat again. “I am not…” Genbu frowned and reached over to pluck a tangled mess of stems and leaves from her hair. He stared at them for a moment before tossing them to the side. “This Britannian prince, we can’t trust him.”

Tomoe raised an eyebrow. “And why not?”

“His father for one.” Genbu shook out his obi, finally stopping to brush at a patch of dirt. Tomoe wasn’t sure how much good it did, but Genbu just flipped the obi aroud before tying it around himself. “I’ve never seen a man more focused on winning territory.”

Tomoe cleared her throat, Genbu pausing in his tirade. He looked at her for a moment, Tomoe noticing the exact moment he decided to ignore what she was trying to point out.

He took a step closer, reaching over to comb his fingers through her hair. Tomoe shot Genbu an annoyed look before shutting her eyes and enjoying the sensation. Considering their location, there was bound to be detritus from the garden. Tomoe was not naïve enough to believe that no one in the palace would believe that the shogun and his _midai-sama_ were just taking a walk in the garden and she had happened to get flowers and grass in her hair. Most of the staff had been with them since she had been newly engaged to Genbu and arriving for her wedding, long before the previous shogun had died.

She sighed when Genbu lifted his hands out of her hair, opening his eyes when they returned briefly to tuck something behind her ear. Tomoe reached up to touch it, smiling when she felt the soft petals of a flower. “Thank you.”

She rocked up on her tip toes to kiss his cheek before turning to walk down the path.

Genbu was quick to catch up and take her arm, strolling with her down the path. Tomoe was more than happy to let the two of them return back to their work without any further conversation on Prince Lelouch vi Britannia, but it was a problem that they were rapidly running out of time to deal with if the timeline was any indication.

Suzaku and Genbu had returned from Britannia two months ago. For the prince leaving from Britannia, not using dedicated ships and not knowing the best route through the islands, would mean a three month trip. It was across the Narrow Sea and then through Avrupa by land. It was a rough trip, Tomoe pressing her lips together to keep from humming in sympathy.

Even with those calculations it would be hard to tell, unless they had Lelouch examined, but it was too soon to push for that. Tomoe doubted that either Suzaku or Genbu would tell her enough for her to date things properly, Genbu because his attention had been elsewhere and Suzaku out of embarrassment. She would get her answer eventually, she was sure that one of them would crack soon enough.

She squeezed Genbu’s arm, giving him a significant look. “Is that the only reason you are against this?”

“No. It follows the first point. All that man cares about it gaining more territory, and I wouldn’t put it past him to use this as a ploy.”

Tomoe hummed, tipping her head to the side. “So, you don’t think it’s Suzaku’s?”

That got him to stumble for a little bit, Genbu sputtering before shrugging. “The timing would fit.”

“How so?”

“That’s not mine to tell.” Genbu rolled his shoulders. “But I will say that Suzaku spent most of his time with the prince. There were plenty of rumors about the two of them, but I didn’t have the time or people to see if there was any truth to most of them.”

“Well, one appears to be true.”

Genbu huffed, although he didn’t allow that fact to keep him silent for long. “You don’t know with Britannian omegas. They have a completely different way of life. There’s a good chance that it could be, or the timing could be right for another one of his knights.” Genbu stumbled over the Westrosi word. “It’s how they assure loyalty.”

“They must be very busy then.” Tomoe rested her head against his shoulder, listening to the low rumble of Genbu’s laugh.

She had seen the men and women that had arrived with Lelouch. It was a small escort, but they were obviously soldiers. Tomoe didn’t know which ones could be called knights, but there had been one older man who had hovered around Lelouch. The prince could have been taking care, although Tomoe was sure that she hadn’t imagined the exhaustion and annoyance on Lelouch’s face. And she definitely hadn’t imagined the look on his face when Suzaku had come to meet them. It had been quick, a subtle softening as Lelouch had leaned forward. Tomoe was certain that most of it was Suzaku himself, although she would take credit for the clothes that she had sent him. It didn’t hurt to have Suzaku showing himself at his best.

She bit her lip, considering what she had seen. She was sure that any affection between the two of them was real, it was in the way they behaved around each other. But Genbu was right, there were other things to consider.

Tomoe lifted her head, looking around the garden. She tugged on Genbu’s arm to make him walk slower, not wanting to run out of garden before they were done. “Would it be a bad thing?”

“If the child wasn’t Suzaku’s?”

“No.” Tomoe shook her head. “ _If_ it is Suzaku’s? Would it be bad to have an alliance with Britannia?”

Genbu opened his mouth, although he was quick to snap it shut. She watched his jaw work for a moment, Tomoe allowing him the time to think before speaking again. “Britannia has colonies that are starting to push against their authority here. We have a few of the kingdoms of Avrupa between us and them, but that’s no guarantee. The colonies might start trying to expand, which means we will have war on that front.”

“That won’t stop them from trying to take us over, alliance or not.”

“Not, but we’ll have a threat. The prince was announced as the prince of Britannia and Deira.”

Genbu frowned. “One of their kingdoms…I’m not sure that they have a standing army, nor their numbers.”

“Or how long it would take them to assemble and get here. But it’s a start. And, if Britannia takes offense to us, I’m sure the council will make the emperor think twice about attacking.”

Genbu made a noncommittal sound, Tomoe frowning up at him. “What’s your next objection?”

He went silent, staying quiet as they came around a corner. They were close to the palace now, Tomoe looking for any signs of Suzaku or Lelouch. She was sure that they were just where she had left them, in the east garden, still talking. Or she hoped that they were talking, but she wasn’t naïve enough to believe that that was all they would do after six months apart, but one of them might have some good sense. Then again, they were young and Tomoe remembered most of the things she had done at their age, if not the reasons behind it.

She reached out to stroke her hand down Genbu’s arm, pausing the bottom to brush off more dirt. Genbu paused to allow her to do it, Tomoe smiling when he reached out for her. She caught his hand, squeezing it. She leaned against him for a moment, more than happy to steal more time for themselves. It was rare that they got it, and maybe it was time to fix that.

Tomoe turned to look at Genbu, reaching out with her free hand to straighten the fall of his kimono. “You know, maybe it’s time to give Suzaku more responsibility.”

Genbu huffed. “A responsible young man wouldn’t have gotten himself into this situation.”

“A father looking after his son in a land of exotic temptations would have done something more than letting his son chase after the first omega that caught his eye.” Tomoe stared at Genbu for a moment, waiting for his reaction. He just huffed and looked away, muttering something under his breath.

Tomoe sighed, shaking her head. The problem of Suzaku would have to be solved, because it was something that wouldn’t go away so easily. The baby was one thing, but the prince came as an ambassador. That couldn’t be ignored, not with everything she had heard from Genbu and those that went with him. The emperor of Britannia may have been distracted, but that didn’t mean his Small Council wasn’t watching. All things considered, Tomoe was sure that the Small Council had been the one to send Lelouch.

She frowned, staring ahead at the palace. “He’s an ambassador.”

“We can get rid of him easily enough.”

“Suzaku will follow.”

Genbu cursed at that, his hand tightening around hers before he realized what he was doing. He let go of her hand with a muttered apology.

Tomoe watched as his jaw worked before he finally nodded. “We’ll talk to the _R_ _ō_ _j_ _ū_ about this. They will want to have their opinions heard.”

With the way that Genbu said it, it sounded like it would be a chore. Then again, Tomoe knew how most of the six men would lean. They were all Genbu’s men, most of them friends and allies from his campaigns to unite Ashigaru again. All of them had grown rich and content off the spoils and their friendship with Genbu. They were more likely to want a peaceful, easy path rather than fighting. Besides, all of them would remember Britannia as a towering kingdom whose shadow stretched over the entire world. That was not a thing easily forgotten.

Genbu stormed towards the palace, Tomoe taking her time in following after him. He was bound to be annoyed, he was being backed into a corner and that was without Suzaku’s input.

As if her thoughts had summoned him, her son came rushing along the porch.

Suzaku caught himself on the railing, his eyes bright and his smile wide. “He said yes!”

Tomoe came to a stop, turning to stare at Genbu. He was frozen, about to step up onto the porch. It only lasted a moment before he set his foot down heavily.

The sound was enough to get Suzaku to look over at his father, Suzaku tensing. Tomoe saw his jaw work, struck by how much he could look like his father. It was happening more often as he got older. It should have been gratifying, but this was not the time.

Tomoe stepped forward, brushing her hand over Genbu’s arm as she passed him. “Suzaku?”

Suzaku didn’t look away from his father. “I asked for Prince Lelouch to marry me. And I’m not taking that offer back.”

Tomoe heard a low growl from Genbu. She cast her eyes skyward, taking a deep breath. “This is not the time.”

There was no response from the two of them, Tomoe looking back at them. She tipped her chin up, snapping at the two of them. “Suzaku! Genbu! This is _not_ the time.”

That at least stopped them from glaring at each other, but it was a temporary measure. She took a deep breath. “We will discuss this later.”

“But-”

“ _Later_.” Tomoe glared at Suzaku before stepping back to Genbu. “Suzaku, make sure that our guest it properly accommodated. Then join us. We have a lot to discuss.”

Suzaku shrunk in on himself a moment before trudging away. Tomoe watched him go before pivoting on her heel and looking at Genbu. “We’ll discuss this with the _R_ _ō_ _j_ _ū_.”

Genbu shook his head. “I know what they’re going to say, and I know what side you’re on.”

“It is only advice.”

“It’s never only advice.” Genbu sighed and stormed off, Tomoe watching him go.

For a brief moment, she was tempted to race after Suzaku and drag him back to his room and confine him there. But he was a young man, and that time was long since passed. In any case, she was sure that some part of the guard would set him free out of solidarity.

Tomoe sighed, reaching up to pinch at the bridge of her nose. She was going to get this thing settled, and then she was going to lock herself away somewhere, at least until she had calmed down enough to keep from snapping at everyone that crossed her path. Tomoe took a few more deep breaths before turning on her heel and walking back inside the palace.

* * *

Lelouch drummed his fingers against his arm, wanting badly to get up to pace, but his days of easily getting to his feet were gone. If he did want to pace, it would be an affair getting up and then he would be reduced to something like a waddle, and even that was tiring. Whatever shape he could claim to be in had been ruined from months on the ship being sick and then being stuck in a carriage because he couldn’t walk well, and he was _still_ sick.

Lelouch rocked himself forward, considering pushing past his center of gravity enough to push himself upright before giving up. It had been a long day, and sitting suited him fine, aside from the need to pace. He did his best thinking on the move, and he needed that now.

He had achieved part one of his plan which was just to get to Edo in the first place. There had been plenty of times when he had been tempted to stop and wait. But he was sure that any change to his plans would be too much of a temptation to stay until he baby was born, just to get the annoyance of that stage out of the way.

But he had boasted to Schneizel that he could get a lasting alliance in sixth months. On the other hand, he wanted Suzaku to be there as well, although he wasn’t sure if he needed Suzaku’s reassurance or to shout at him for his part in this. His feeling about that shifted hour by hour.

Lelouch reached up to run a hand down his face. It would be easier if he knew what his feelings were about Suzaku. It had been wonderful seeing him, although it had been an emotional whiplash between wanting to keep his dignity, throw himself at Suzaku or wait until Suzaku was beside him and curl up against him. He had done the former, if only because it had taken all of his focus to follow the conversation. Even after all of the business was done, he had been too exhausted to do anything but lean against Suzaku. Not even a proposal had been enough to move him.

He swallowed, dropping his hands away. That had been…unexpected, and expected all the same. Considering the offer and the situation between their countries, it was the logical thing to do. He just hadn’t expected Suzaku to mean it so much. It made him reconsider all kinds of things.

He really needed to pace.

Lelouch grunted as he went to rock himself forward, stopping when a young woman bustled into the room. Her sleeves trailed after her, Lelouch giving up counting the layers of them when he hit six. He was sure that there were more, just like he was sure that there was a set of bells somewhere on her person, but he couldn’t see them.

He froze as her gaze flicked back to him, his eyes widening at the sight of familiar green eyes. Suzaku had said nothing about siblings.

The girl smiled at him, stopping to bow deeply. “It is an honor to meet you, Prince Lelouch.”

She spoke slowly and clearly, Lelouch relieved after trying to keep up with conversational language all afternoon. He sighed, relaxing a fraction despite himself.

At a loss of what to do, he gave her a partial bow. Her expression twitched slightly, but it settled back into a careful neutral quickly. Lelouch huffed, giving that up for a loss at the moment. He shifted so he was sitting as upright as he could manage. “The honor is mine…”

He started to say Kururugi before he stopped himself. Kaguya might have Suzaku’s eyes, but that didn’t automatically mean that they were related. This wasn’t the court of Pendragon, but that didn’t make it any less dangerous.

Lelouch locked his jaw to keep the rest of the words from coming out, expecting some sort of snub or caution. Aside from Suzaku, there had been nothing but caution. It was the only thing that explained the way that practically everyone had been whisked away for a meeting and he had been put in a villa in some corner behind the palace itself. If that wasn’t caution, Lelouch didn’t know what was.

The girl turned back to the door, making a vague waving motion. Lelouch followed her gaze, narrowing his eyes at the guards standing by the door. He couldn’t read them either, but they had already gotten on his nervous because of an extended conversation that had been him stumbling through words that he vaguely remembered or heard on the way to Edo to get his escort into the villa with him.

He watched as the girl walked over to the door, sliding it slightly shut. That seemed to be the hint that the guards needed because they turned away.

The girl turned back around, a wide smile across her face. She practically bounced across the room to him, her bells jingling cheerily.

Lelouch was surprised when she dropped down in front of him, tucking herself neatly into that position that everyone in Ashigaru assumed when sitting and talking. Even then, there was some liveliness about her, the girl practically shaking in place before she seemed to calm herself down.

She nodded her head, returning his bow. “I’m Sumeragi Kaguya. I’m a…” She paused, tilting her head to the side with a soft jingle of bells. “Priestess.”

Lelouch got the feeling that it wasn’t quite the right word, but he was grateful of the substitution. It just meant another gap in his knowledge of the language. Considering his condition, studying the language was something that he could easily do.

Lelouch nodded, making a gesture towards the room. “I welcome you to…”

“Villa of Calm Repose.” Kaguya’s smile was back again. She rested her hands on her lap, her sleeves trailing behind her like the wings of a bird. “I’m sorry you were taken here without an explanation. You were unexpected.”

“I assumed.” Lelouch struggled to keep the annoyance out of his voice, but he was sure he failed.

Kaguya either didn’t notice or didn’t pay it any mind. She nodded, holding his gaze steadily. “Suzaku asked me to come to make sure that you weren’t just abandoned. Things are taking longer than he anticipated. There’s more resistance to the idea.” She sighed, reaching up to start pulling ribbons out of her hair. “And here I was hoping to get rid of my fiancé.”

Lelouch froze, staring at her with wide eyes. Suzaku had never said anything about a fiancée, let alone one this young. Then again, it was not something that could come up when courting another person or during their heat. Certainly not when it was a girl as young as Nunnally.

He curled his fingers into his kimono, staring at Kaguya. His first impulse was to cry, but he was used to holding that back. Anger was next, but that needed to be directed at Suzaku. Three months across land and sea and he found out that the man he had hitched all his plans on had someone else.

Lelouch leaned forward slightly, not bothering to keep the steel out of his voice. “What?”

To his surprise, Kaguya just waved his question away. “It wasn’t something the two of us agreed to, at least not really. His father and my father decided that it was about time that a Sumeragi married a Kururugi and I had the unfortunate circumstance of being the only suitable Sumeragi available.” Lelouch thought he saw her roll her eyes, but then she was back to the perfect position and gentle smile. “But you’ve solved that problem in a timely manner. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Lelouch watched her carefully, noting as she relaxed further. He wasn’t quite ready to smile at her, but it was hard considering how much she reminded him of Nunnally.

Kaguya remained still for a moment more before nodding. “I believe this means I owe you a favor.”

Lelouch cocked his head to the side, studying her to see if she was joking. He was still unable to tell, humor was a bit too much for him if it wasn’t Suzaku, who wore his expression openly. When Kaguya didn’t laugh and immediately change the subject, he ventured forth a request. “Explain what I’m doing in the Villa of Calm Repose.”

“Oh, I owe you more than that.” Kaguya grinned at him. “I was asked to keep you company, just until Suzaku could get out of the meeting.”

“What have they decided?”

Kaguya shrugged. “I’ve been left out as much as you have. I think there are a few of the _R_ _ō_ _j_ _ū_ are afraid that I will influence the others.” She lifted her hands to wiggle her fingers. “I may say it as my opinion, but it usually carries the weight of prophecy.”

“Prophecy?”

“When the feeling comes.” Kaguya sighed. “For the safety and prosperity of Ashigaru. That is the duty of a…priestess.”

Lelouch raised an eyebrow. Prophets were common enough in Britannia, but they never seemed to be working in tandem with the emperor. For whatever his many failings were, Charles had no interest in the vagaries of prophecy. This was something different, and something that he would have to carefully guard his tongue around. Kaguya was important, it was clear from her clothes and the fact that she had been engaged to Suzaku. She was on his side, and that was not worth losing.

He shifted to find a more comfortable position, wincing when the baby pressed on his bladder. He shifted again, quickly given up on trying to find a better position. “Do you have a feeling about me?”

Kaguya tipped her head to the side, looking him up and down before shrugging. “It will come, eventually.”

“Ah.” Lelouch shifted, winching as he felt a sharp kick. He reached up to press his hand there, hoping to urge the baby to calm down. It had never worked before, but he lived in eternal hope.

He looked up as Kaguya scooted closer. She reached out for him, Lelouch relieved when it wasn’t for his stomach. That seemed to be the impulse of everyone who he had met. Instead, Kaguya looked like she wanted to steady him.  He still shifted away, having to quickly rebalance himself. The baby protested with a series of quick kicks that made Lelouch press his hand against his stomach. He didn’t think it would help, it never had before, but he lived in hope.

He winced at another hard kick, giving Kaguya as a tired look. “They’re restless.”

That got a smile, Kaguya settling back down. Lelouch would have called it a more relaxed position, although it looked like nothing had changed. “Then I’ll try to distract you.”

Lelouch nodded, not quite ready to dare a smile. “Please.”

Kaguya reached down to straighten her kimono, although Lelouch couldn’t see anything wrong with it. Then she seemed to sink slightly into herself.  “Well, you asked about the house. It’s yours for the moment.”

“The moment?”

She nodded. “Everyone of suitable importance or privilege gives birth in this building. It’s away from the bustle of the palace, close to the kitchens and is where the physicians are housed.”

Lelouch sighed, his fingers twitching on his stomach. “So it’s an exile.”

“No.” Kaguya laughed, covering her mouth with her sleeve. Her arm stayed there until she stopped, Kaguya giving him a serious look. “No, it’s freedom. The physicians and midwives are in one section of the house, but the rest is yours. Your quarters have been scrubbed top to bottom so what you bring in is yours alone, the items, the scents, the people.”

Lelouch started a bit, wincing as the baby kicked him in the ribs. He shot an annoyed look at his stomach. It produced the usual result, more tumbles and kicks. He huffed and leaned back on his hands, looking back at Kaguya. She nodded, folding her hands on her lap. “You are allowed to give the names of those you want admitted and all others will be kept out. Even the shogun himself…even Suzaku.”

“No.” Lelouch felt his stomach lurch in a way that had nothing to do with the baby.

He had chosen this, he had known what he was getting into. Generally. But Suzaku was a familiar face in a sea of unfamiliar ones, especially when he was struggling with the language. That and he was here because of and for Suzaku. To leave him out of it would be miserable.

He swallowed and resettled himself, surprised when Kaguya dropped into a bow. “I should extend my apologies.”

“No. You are welcome. You seem to be the only one willing to talk to me.” Lelouch caught her amused glance when he looked up at him. He cleared his throat, trying not to shift in place. “I could use the help.”

“I thought so. Things look…disorganized and your grasp of the language is juvenile.”

Lelouch huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “I doubt that.”

He got another one of those enigmatic smiles from her before Kaguya got to her feet. The bells rang out sweetly again, Lelouch paying attention to them before he realized that Kaguya was standing with her head cocked to the side. Now that the bells had stopped ringing he could heard a rapid fire conversation from the hall. He could catch a few words here and there, but not enough to piece together the conversation. He glanced back over at Kaguya, watching as she nodded.

“I’ll inform the guards to allow your escort in and out. I’ll be back tomorrow for your next lesson and to work on the list of people with permission.”

She bowed to him again before stepping back towards the door. Kaguya was out of it before Lelouch could do anything. He got a glimpse of her long, trailing sleeves just before Suzaku practically pushed past her. Lelouch thought he heard something teasing in her voice, but Suzaku didn’t respond. Suzaku was braced in the doorway, looking like he had run all the way from the palace.

Lelouch smiled and settled back down, trying to hide his discomfort as the baby started kicking at him again.  Something on his face must have shown what was happening, because Suzaku sagged against the doorframe. “You’re here.”

Lelouch shook his head. “Where else would I be?”

Suzaku opened and closed his mouth a few times before he shook his head. He stepped into the room, sliding the door shut behind him. Suzaku lingered there for a moment, his gaze never leaving him. “You didn’t get the warmest welcome.”

“I expected that.” Lelouch raised one shoulder in a shrug. “My father was not accommodating. And I didn’t help my case showing up like this.”

Suzaku’s gaze dropped to his stomach, Lelouch watching his eyes widen. It was the same reaction that he had seen out in the garden, right down to the fact that Suzaku hadn’t made a move towards him, which annoyed him for some reason.

Lelouch sighed and held out his hand. “Suzaku.”

Suzaku took a few shuffling steps forward before his self-control seemed to snap. He didn’t rush over, but he moved quickly to Lelouch’s side. Lelouch held still as Suzaku tucked himself against his back. He was more than happy to lean his head back on Suzaku’s shoulder, letting Suzaku take his weight. He sighed turning his head to nuzzle into the join of Suzaku’s jaw and neck. Lelouch heard Suzaku’s hum of approval, and felt it down his back. He shivered, shifting to get more comfortable when Suzaku’s hands tightened on his arms.

“Lelouch?”

He made a sound in answer, fully ready to just sink into Suzaku’s embrace. It had been a long and trying day, first traveling the final leg to Edo and then sparing with Genbu until his wife had arrived. The council needing to deliberate over him was one more complication that he didn’t need. Suzaku was a safe haven in all of that, something familiar and known.

Lelouch hissed as Suzaku’s grip tightened. He jerked his head up to glare at Suzaku, watching as Suzaku muttered an apology, although his gaze slid away from him.

Lelouch studied Suzaku for a moment, some part of him relieved that Suzaku was so obvious. It was easy to read him, and he didn’t feel like making the effort of picking apart a court mask. Lelouch was sure they had them here, he would be surprised if any country didn’t. The problem lay in how they acted. He was familiar with Britannia, but Ashigaru was a different story entirely. That would take time that he wasn’t sure he had, between their animosity towards Britannia and the baby. If anything, he’d have to wait until after, which was too long to wait for his taste.

He was able to settle back against Suzaku when Suzaku squeezed his arms again, the motion gentler this time. “Lelouch, I have to know. Was this planned?”

Lelouch raised an eyebrow, carefully watching Suzaku’s face as he spoke. “Of course.” Suzaku tensed, Lelouch noting the reaction carefully. “I had to put my affairs in order and then sail across the Narrow Sea. It required some planning.”

Suzaku relaxed a fraction with something that sounded like laughter, but it wasn’t what Lelouch expected. Suzaku rubbed his hands over Lelouch’s arms, the motion slowing every time he got close to Lelouch’s stomach.

“Not like that.” Suzaku took a deep breath, talking so fast that Lelouch had a hard time keeping up with him. “The baby. Were you planning on seducing me and getting pregnant so you would be accepted here? Was it your plan or something larger for Britannia?”

Lelouch stared at Suzaku for a moment before sitting up. He shoved Suzaku away, reaching out to catch Suzaku’s wrists the man reached for him. Lelouch glared at Suzaku before letting go of his wrists.

“There was a plan, but it’s in _my_ favor, not Britannia’s.” Lelouch resettled himself, trying to resist the urge to borrow back into Suzaku’s arms. “And it was not the grand scheme that any of my councilors or father concocted. This was all…unexpected.”

Lelouch struggled over the word, tempted to go back to Britannian, but the conversation would be just as limited. He needed the practice. And Suzaku needed to hear this in his own language.

“I did not seduce you with any intent other than to satisfy myself. The results were, a mistake on my part.” He heard Suzaku make a hurt sound. Lelouch sighed and offered his hand, glad when Suzaku took the olive branch. “It would have not been smart to announce this to the court, especially so soon after our fathers had parted on bad terms, so I came up with something that would suit me. I needed to help my sister avoid a stupid marriage, the Small Council wanted to secure ties with the closest threat to our colonies and interest and…” Lelouch was tempted to hold his tongue, but something about Suzaku’s steady gaze always undid him, “I did miss you.”

The corner of Suzaku’s mouth twitched slightly. “You barely know me.”

There was an argument that had been often repeated in the discussions, Lelouch could feel it. That didn’t make it any less true.

He cleared his throat and scooted forward, glad that Suzaku mirrored him. Lelouch used the chance to take Suzaku’s other hand, twining their fingers together. “I got to know you very well during my heat, enough to know that you are my first choice out of the options I have open to me. Out of all of them, I’d prefer to take the time to get to know you.”

That brought Suzaku’s smile back, Lelouch sighing in relief. The words had been hard to say, not just because of the language barrier. He was used to letting his words twist and turn so that his intentions were hidden. But he didn’t want to do that to Suzaku. He _couldn’t_. The truth slipped out.

Suzaku leaned forward to rest their foreheads together, Lelouch relenting with a sigh of relief. Instinct told him to stick close to Suzaku, his presence was comforting. Lelouch was sure that it wasn’t because Suzaku was an alpha, it was something about Suzaku’s personality itself.

They sat that way for a while until the baby made their annoyance known, Lelouch sitting upright with a wince. He went to rub at his lower back, surprised when Suzaku was already moving around him. He turned his head to watch, shuddering at the first press of Suzaku’s fingers into his back. Lelouch tensed against their pressure before he slumped into them, his head lolling back. “Oh.”

He caught a flash of a mischievous smile before Suzaku went back to work. His fingers sought out the knots in Lelouch’s back, coaxing them out and then applying pressure.

Lelouch bit his lip to hold back a moan, aware of the guards just outside the door. Kaguya might still be there too, and he was not about to give them any more fodder for gossip.

He was so focused on the blissful sensation that he almost missed Suzaku’s question.

“Do you want it?”

“Hm?”

“The baby. Was it insurance for you getting here or…”

Lelouch sighed, opening his eyes and staring at the ceiling. “If we plan to see this alliance through, or at least pay lip service to it, there would have to be an heir for your…throne?” He waited for Suzaku to make a sound of confirmation. “It would have happened sooner or later. It might as well happen now?”

“But do _you_ want it?”

Lelouch groaned as Suzaku tackled another knot. “It changes from day to day. It’s hard to be fond of anything when it starts kicking you in the ribs.”

Suzaku made a sympathetic sound, his hands moving around to Lelouch’s sides. “May I?”

Lelouch nodded, a squeak escaping him when Suzaku pulled him back. Lelouch rested his head on Suzaku’s shoulder, looking back at him before relaxing.

That seemed to be what Suzaku was waiting for, because then his hands skimmed over Lelouch’s stomach. Lelouch expected petting or something more robust than Suzaku just resting his hands there, but he was more than content with Suzaku just holding him. Suzaku was warm behind him and all around him, and the scent of wood and grass reminded him of calmer times, when there was just the two of them and no worries. No baby sitting on his bladder or kicking at him.

He winced as the baby kicked again, this time harder. He shot a glare at his stomach, turning the glare to Suzaku when he laughed. He couldn’t hold his glare long, not when Suzaku turned his head to kiss Lelouch’s temple. The kiss turned into a nuzzle, Lelouch feeling warmth spread through him.

“ _Taiyoushi_.” Lelouch shivered as Suzaku rasped out the word. He couldn’t quite grasp the meaning of it, it was another thing that he would ask Kaguya when his lessons started. The thought was quickly pushed out of his mind as Suzaku pulled him into his lap.

Lelouch was sure that he yelped, but the embarrassment over the noise was quickly gone as Suzaku cradled him. He sighed and tipped his head so he could rest their temples together. It meant that he wasn’t able to see Suzaku’s expression, but that didn’t matter. This was just what he needed.

He closed his eyes, basking in Suzaku’s presence and scent. Lelouch was on the verge of drifting off when he heard Suzaku clear his throat. He opened his eyes and lifted his head slightly, feeling Suzaku’s hands start to roam on his stomach. It wasn’t a purposeful motion, although they did pause when the baby moved under them.

Lelouch shifted, that enough for Suzaku to snap out of whatever thoughts could have him.

“Lelouch…can I stay?”

Lelouch huffed, reaching down to grab Suzaku’s hand. “I expect you to. I agreed to your proposal after all. Have you changed your mind already?”

“No.” Suzaku shook his head. “I was afraid that the council would scare you away.”

“You’ve seen the court at Pendragon. It would take more than that to scare me. Besides, you’re on the list of those welcome in here. It would take more explaining than I’m ready to do to get you off.”

Suzaku laughed, muffling the sound in his hair. Lelouch smiled and reached up to comb his fingers through Suzaku’s hair. In the uproar of his arrival, this was a little pool of calm. Even the baby seemed to have had enough and had calmed down. That in itself was a minor miracle, and one that could not be wasted.

Lelouch uncurled his hand from Suzaku’s hair, trailing it down the side of his face. “Let’s go somewhere more comfortable while I still feel like moving.”

“I could carry you.”

“How chivalrous.” Lelouch leaned in to kiss Suzaku’s cheek, having to quickly adjust when Suzaku moved. He grabbed at Suzaku’s shoulders, his eyes going wide as Suzaku scooped him up and got to his feet.

Suzaku stumbled forward a few steps, Lelouch clinging more tightly to him until Suzaku got his balance. Then he stood, Suzaku apparently not bothered by his extra weight. Suzaku looked down at him with a smile, Lelouch finding himself smiling back up at him.

Suzaku adjusted him slightly before turning on his heel and carrying Lelouch further into the house.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, as I said, I've been writing these between things and as the mood strikes me. This starts a bit of a timeskip because I had an idea for something 5 years into their future.

_A coat of gold or a coat of red,_  
a lion still has claws,  
And mine are long and sharp, my lord,  
as long and sharp as yours.

-  _The Rains of Castamere_

* * *

 

Lelouch took a deep breath as the door shut, blocking out the sound of Sumeragi Momoka as she mourned her brother. Lelouch squeezed his eyes shut as another wail rose, curling his fingers into his kimono. He was almost glad of the sound even as it grated on his nerves. He could feel a similar sound working its way up his own throat, but he couldn’t give in.

The shogun was dead. His heir was in a critical condition. The whole palace was in an uproar.

He took another deep breath, holding it in for a moment before letting it go. As he breathed, he let the anger and the worry curl together in the only way he knew how. It was how he had survived in Westros, it was how he would survive this.

Lelouch opened his eyes, turning around to look at who had come out of the room where Genbu’s body was laid out. He bowed his head to Tomoe, watching as she wiped her face on her sleeve. He didn’t comment on it, the time for court pleasantries was not now. The kingdom expected to see her mourning, especially after what had happened.

He swallowed and took a step towards her, relieved when she was the one to reach out to him. Lelouch was quick to grab her hand tightly, squeezing it. Tomoe held onto him just as tightly, looking at him. “How is he?”

“Alive.” It was a relief to say the word, Lelouch relaxing as he spoke. He nodded to Tomoe. “He’s alive. They say that, if he survives the night, then he will live.”

“Suzaku is strong.”

“Yes, he is.” Lelouch glanced down the hall towards the room where Suzaku had been taken to. He wanted to go back in there, to sit by Suzaku’s side and hold his hand. He’d been chased out to allow the doctors and surgeons to do their work, but that left him without anything to do. He was not about to stand outside Genbu’s room, listening to Momoka cry, and his other option was to retreat to where Shina was being kept away from it all. Then again, his daughter was too smart by halves. She had probably figured out that something was wrong and he didn’t want to answer her questions, not when there was so much he didn’t know.

He let go of Tomoe’s hand, shuddering as Momoka went silent. He was sure that she was going to start up again, but the silence made it all worse. Lelouch gave Suzaku’s room one last look before starting down the hall. He was relieved when Tomoe followed him. Lelouch didn’t know what he was going to do, but at least he wouldn’t look so lost with Tomoe with him.

They walked down the hallway in silence, Lelouch prepared for it to last until they made a circle of the private apartments. Instead Tomoe took a turn that led out to the yard where the soldiers practiced. The change was enough to get him to slow down for a moment, but Tomoe pressed on like she hadn’t noticed. Lelouch frowned and rushed to catch up, having to nearly run as he kept up with her. “Tomoe?”

“We have one of them, one of the ones from Shinkine. I will see him.” Lelouch was surprised by the demand, but he didn’t have time to say anything. He caught up to her in time for Tomoe to glance his way. “I heard that we caught one of them. I don’t know how or why but I heard it during the rush.”

Lelouch could only stare, because he hadn’t heard that and it made his heart beat faster. “Where?”

“Tohdoh has him.”

Lelouch nodded, picking up his pace to match hers. He fixed his gaze beyond the open doors at the end of the hall. He didn’t look over at Tomoe, his gaze already fixed on where the elite guard were waiting. He saw all of them snap to attention, looking between the two of them. He wasn’t sure what they could get from his face, but he was sure that they saw all they needed from Tomoe’s face.

His gaze sought out Tohdoh, watching as the commander slumped slightly. Lelouch didn’t linger over Tohdoh for long, his attention going to the man that was kneeling on the ground. He had probably been kneeling there since they had brought back Genbu and Suzaku. Lelouch looked him, the corner of his mouth twitching.

He stepped down from the palace, making his way over to the man even as Tomoe walked over to Tohdoh. Lelouch paused a little way away from the man, looking him over. He was almost glad of the sharp spark of anger that came from seeing him, it was easier than grief. It was more familiar than grief. 

It was what he had gathered close to his chest and held when his mother had died, and when Nunnally had been injured. It had been something that he had held onto through those long summer days and short nights until he’d managed to bring Ser Vincent into a trail by combat with Ser Jeremiah. It had been worth all those long days and nights, and Lelouch believed that Ser Jeremiah enjoyed it as well.

Ser Vincent’s head had looked good rotting over the gates of Tintagel for the few weeks it took the news to get back to Pendragon. Even with the fancy political work he’d had to do afterwards, it had been worth it. Ser Vincent may have been the emperor’s brother, but he had killed a royal consort and injured a princess of the empire. It had been worth the look on his father’s face when he had talked Charles into a corner.

Lelouch didn’t know what kind of satisfaction he could pull out of this, but he was willing to try to get the utmost.

He paced in front of the man, looking him over. It was good that the man didn’t look up, because Lelouch wouldn’t be able to hold himself back. They needed the man for whatever Tomoe was planning and for whatever ideas were starting to form in his head. He had the patience to wait to hear what Tomoe’s plans were, but he didn’t have the patience for those long summer days again. Someone had stolen from him again, and he was going to make them pay for it.

Lelouch circled around the man, ignoring the way that Chiba cleared her throat. The man looked defeated enough, which was all he wanted for the moment. He narrowed his eyes at the coiled gold dragon he saw embroidered on the man’s kimono, his fingers twitching. He resisted the urge to rip it off the man, glad for a distraction when Tohdoh spoke up.

“I am sorry to hear of your loss, my lady. I hope-”

“Suzaku is still alive.” Tomoe’s voice was harsher than Lelouch had ever heard it. He looked up at her, taking in her neutral expression before looking over at Tohdoh.

Tohdoh seemed to take the harsh tone in stride, because he nodded slowly. “Thank the gods.”

“I do.” Tomoe took a deep breath. “But I believe I need to ask for a different blessing for the moment, depending on what that man can tell us.”

She turned, Lelouch moved with her to look down at the man kneeling on the ground. He saw the man flinch before he raised his head. Lelouch expected fear or anger, not an expressionless face.

The man hesitated for a moment before nodding. “I am Hyuga Akito and I offer whatever help I can give.”

Lelouch huffed, just barely stopping himself from laughing. “And why is that?”

His question finally got Akito’s expression to change, but it was only for a split second. Then it was back to the carefully practiced neutrality and his attention was back on Tomoe. “Because my brother is a traitor. Because he betrayed his sovereign lord. Because he killed the shogun.” Akito went silent for a moment, his mouth working before he settled again. “Because he killed my father and mother, and everyone else.”

Lelouch sighed and looked over at Tomoe. He’d had precious little time to learn about everything that had happened in Ashigaru since his arrival. It had been a crash course in the current politics and then balancing that with taking care of a child. He knew the history vaguely, but not the details. But, judging from the expression on Tomoe’s face, what Akito was saying was true.

Tomoe studied the man, Lelouch watching as a slow smile crossed her face. “I can understand those reasons, but they’re not enough.”

Akito nodded. “I don’t expect them to be.”

Tomoe hummed. “But they’re not enough to kill you for, not if you’re willing to help us. You see, your brother killed my husband and he might have killed my son. That cannot be overlooked.” She was silent for a moment before she shook her head. “And, if you are in earnest, then this will not be overlooked by the rest of your clan.”

Akito shrugged. “They are dead. They can’t hurt me.”

“Still, there are your brother’s supporters to think about…”

Lelouch looked between the two of them, some of the vague ideas coalescing in his mind. He let his gaze rest on Tomoe for a moment, before he cleared his throat. That was enough to get Akito’s gaze to jerk to him. “You can fight?”

The question seemed to confuse him for a moment, but Akito was quick to nod. Lelouch smiled, clasping his hands behind his back as he started to pace a circle around Akito. “Good because a friend of my family has recently been in need of a good knight by their side. I’m not offering you a place as a mercenary, but as a staple of the household. It is in Avrupa…will that be far enough away?”

The corner of Akito’s mouth twisted up in a smile. “I will take it.”

“Good.” Lelouch came around to crouch in front of Akito. There was emotion there, something more than the careful expression of before. That was a man who had been ready to die. This was the expression of one ready to live. Lelouch matched his grin, meeting Akito’s gaze. “Now tell me, how are your brother’s defenses?”

* * *

Lelouch watched as the doors were pulled open, barely paying attention to the man who announced him, he was too busy looking around the room.

It wasn’t the simple grandeur that he was used to from Genbu’s palace, nor was it the opulence in stone and glass that he was used to from Pendragon. This was the opulence that everyone accused the court at Pendragon of, all gold, bright paint and jewels. Lelouch bit his lip, meting the gazes of a thousand painted dragons, all of them gold. He turned his head to look at the nearest one, meeting its sapphire gaze before he jerked his gaze away. He wasn’t there to stare at dragons, he was there for the man standing towards the back of the room.

The herald was still introducing him, a long list of titles that Lelouch had stopped paying attention to. He was sure that the man at the back of the room had stopped paying attention too. Shin Hyuga Shaing didn’t look like the kind of man that would have the patience for that, not after a great victory.

An imagined victory.

Lelouch stepped forward, ignoring the way that the man sputtered. He walked towards where Shin waited, trying to keep his pace steady. He couldn’t rush, couldn’t put a foot out of place. Everything had to be perfect.

He gaze flicked to the side, Lelouch slowing down at the brazier burning to one side of the room. He couldn’t imagine its purpose on first glance, the day was warm. Then he saw the thing in the midst of the flames. Lelouch took a step closer, watching as the oval-shaped stone sat in the midst of a blaze hot enough for him to feel it where he stood, and yet it didn’t seem to be burning itself. If anything, the stone seemed to be greedily absorbing the heat.

Lelouch jerked his gaze away, not wanting to appear too interested. He wasn’t here for pleasantries. He was here to deliver an ultimatum. He looked back at the throne, surprised to find it empty.

The man had moved closer with a smirk so wide across his face that Lelouch wanted to punch it off. Instead, Lelouch smiled, tipping his head in acknowledgement. “Lord Hyuga. Or is it Lord Shaing.”

Shin hesitated at that, Lelouch turning his head to look at the brazier. “A strange way to show off your victory.”

Shin shook his head, Lelouch not liking the grin that crossed his face. “That is a gift from a friend, a very generous one all considering. But I thought you would recognize it. Your family is famous for them.”

Lelouch turned to look back at the stone, daring to take a step closer to it. Now that he was looking, he could see strange, triangular ridges on it. Lelouch froze, feeling cold rush down his spine. “A dragon egg.” He looked over at Shin, narrowing his eyes at how smug the man looked. “It’s useless, it’s all stone to the core.”

Shin waved his argument away, moving to pace around the brazier. “Those early Britannians left plenty of secrets before they went off to make their new empire in Westros. My generous friend gave me some of these secrets in translation.”

“A gift for killing your shogun.”

“Bah.” Shin made an impatient gesture. “I didn’t do it as a favor to them.”

“But you’re not above taking their rewards.” Lelouch didn’t bother to keep the bitterness out of his voice. He watched as Shin’s gaze snapped back to him, anger clear in his expression.

And then it was gone, smoothed over but not covered. The anger was still lingering in his eyes. There was danger there, Lelouch feeling the flare of warning. This man was dangerous despite the face he showed to the world.

He took a step away, not able to stop himself from glancing over at the brazier and the egg again. From Shin’s low chuckle, the man had seen him look. Lelouch shot him a glare, Shin just grinning back.

The man turned around, the golden dragons on his kimono glittering in the light. Shin walked back towards his throne. He gestured at it, continuing on.

“This is how the Ashigaru bring change. One shogun has fallen and another one has taken their place. It’s clearing out the house, something you Britannians do more literally, don’t you? How many men were killed the last time one of your Great Houses decided to clean things up?”

“You’ll have to be more specific.”

Shin laughed again, Lelouch trying to hide the way that he bristled. If anything showed, Shin must have misread it because he waved Lelouch off dismissively. “Take your pick, you know them better than I do. They’re all the same to me. My world is here, these islands and Edo.”

“Really?” Lelouch glanced out towards the other side of the room, watching the city through the open doors. It was a move that his father would have done. A move that only someone confident that there would be no retaliation would do.

It was the move of a fool.

He turned to look back at Shin, looking the man up and down. “Really? And you were the hand that the gods choose to use?”

Shin shook his head, giving him a pitying glance. “That may be what they say in Britannia or the how the Kururugis have preserved their position and dignity, but not the way things were done. We have always taken it in turn to rule.”

“You make it sound so peaceable.”

“Sometimes it was.” Shin sighed, stepping back. He gestured to him, Lelouch not hesitating to follow him. Shin led him over to the doors, his focus on the city as he talked. “Sometimes it wasn’t. We are all human, after all. But the cycle had gone stagnant, so it was time to get it moving again.”

Lelouch took a deep breath, swallowing back a growl. “That movement killed my father-in-law and your lord. It killed my husband.”

Shin made an impatient motion with his hand, Lelouch shocked by how easily he brushed it off. “It wasn’t meant to be an insult.”

“It’s hard to not feel like it is.”

“Well, my apologies for that. It is simply…renewal.” Shin shrugged and motioned with one arm, showing off the city with the sweep. He stepped forward to rest his hands on the balcony, smiling down at the city. “And it will be glorious. Something I think you understand.”

Shin paused to look at him out of the corner of his eye, Lelouch not liking the grin that spread across his face. “It’s why you came here after all, isn’t it? You came because you saw which way the wind was blowing and are trying to ingratiate yourself with me. But it won’t work, because I know how  _you_  work.”

Lelouch leaned on the rail, curling his fingers into the wood to keep himself from visibly reacting. “And you know me so well?”

“Very well. I had to when you came as ambassador.” Shin smirked, leaning forward to meet his gaze. Lelouch shuddered but allowed it, not sure if Shin smiled because he thought Lelouch was listening or because he had provoked a reaction. “I thought that you were going to be more of a threat to my plans. I thought that you were going to raise all of Ashigaru and turn it on your father.”

Lelouch tipped his head, a smile crossing his face. “Now why would I do that?”

“Do you need a single reason? I found many while I was looking.  There’s the matter of your mother, your sister, your own property at Tintagel,” Shin stumbled over the word, “cruelly stripped away from you. I could go on, but it would be rude to bore a guest. Suffice to say that I have you all figured out.”

Shin cleared his throat and pushed away from the railing. Lelouch turned to look at him, watching as Shin walked back into his throne room. “You want what every Britannian prince wants, the throne. Your father is getting old and his heir is weak by any country’s definition. The rest of you are snapping at his heels, waiting to see which one knocks him down. And then, you will turn on them and consume each other until there’s only one left. Or none left.” Shin shrugged. “But that doesn’t matter, because you can’t compete. You have nothing because your mother had nothing and because all of her knights left when she died. So you’re seeking to…press your suit for loyalty to me.”

“Watch your tongue!” Lelouch pushed away from the railing, storming over to where Shin was standing. His smile was different now, crueler and that made Lelouch want to lash out.

He stopped when he was right in front of Shin, hating that he had to tip his head back slightly to look at the man. From the way that Shin was grinning, it was all planned.

Lelouch puffed himself up. “You are talking to the shogun's husband.”

“No.” Shin reached out to brush his fingers across Lelouch’s cheek, Lelouch reaching out to grab onto Shin’s wrist, growling low.

“You  _will not_ touch me.”

Shin jerked his hand away, his fingers curling into claws as he stepped back. “And you will not talk to me like that. You have no position now that Suzaku is dead, not unless you managed to find your way into another’s loyalty…or their bed...” His gaze dropped to Lelouch’s stomach. “Is another one brewing in there? Your next big political move? With Suzaku gone, you will need another army.”

Lelouch seethed and turned away. He took a few deep breaths, scanning over the city. His gaze lingered on the walls, watching as a group of men ran along them. Lelouch flexed his fingers, watching as the men leaned over, securing something to the outside of the wall before moving along. A few more of them dropped into the compound, Lelouch watching as they ran towards where the soldiers and deer were kept. He watched them run, picking out the outspread wings of a phoenix before he turned away.

He looked back at Shin, watching as the man went to check on the egg. He reached out to hold his hand over it before turning back to look at Lelouch, the cruel smile still on his face.

Shin spread his arms in a shrug.  “If you came looking for your army, you wasted your time. I don’t intend to help you, Britannian business is its own. Besides. how will I know that your loyalty is mine?”

“You test my patience, Lord Hyuga.” Lelouch stepped away from the railing. “If you cannot speak to me with the respect I deserve then-”

“Then what?” Shin laughed and shook his head. “You have no power here, you never have. Any power you had is back in Westros, and even that is limited. The Britannias might have struck fear into the hearts of the world once, but no longer. They are settled now, confident in their position and lazy. Even their infamous dragons are gone, the last one that fled was your mother’s, I believe.” Shin sighed and gestured to the throne room. “You may call yourselves dragons, but you are no more dragons than I am. But at least I know my strength. You are as weak as Prince Odysseus. Without your alpha your teeth are broken and your claws are blunt.”

Lelouch stared at him, watching Shin smirk before he leaned forward and laughed. He heard Shin make a confused sound, Lelouch shaking his head as he leaned back against the railing. He wrapped his arms around his stomach, laughing even as he heard Shin shouting orders at him. He didn’t stop until Shin stepped up to him, grabbing a fistful of his kimono and pulling him forward.

“What are you laughing at?”

Lelouch shook his head, reaching up to grab onto Shin’s hand. He grabbed onto Shin’s fingers and started to pull them back. Lelouch smiled as Shin’s face contorted in pain, some part of him amused by the way that Shin kept glaring at him. He didn’t know if it was something to be admired or just sheer stupidity.

He let his grin spread wide across his face. “You.”

Shin’s face contorted in rage, but he didn’t get the chance to speak. Lelouch couldn’t turn around, but he could hear the screams. He kept the grin on his face as Shin let go of him, the man rushing to look over the balcony. 

Lelouch pushed away from the railing, not bothering to look over his shoulder. He knew what Shin would be seeing, all of his army scattered and broken. All of them being put to the sword for their crimes, or the ones that didn’t immediately surrender. Lelouch wasn’t sure what Tomoe would do with the ones that did, but she was welcome to them. He wanted his little piece of revenge. It didn’t matter that he had been lying about Suzaku being dead, it didn’t matter that Suzaku was probably out of danger. It only mattered that Shin had dared, and that was enough.

Lelouch walked back into the throne room, meeting the sparkling gaze of all of the dragons. He wrinkled his nose at them, shaking his head before looking at the egg in the brazier. Shin might have talked about how he was nothing like the Britannians, but still lusted after a dragon like all the rest of Lelouch’s family. It was enough to make him want to laugh.

For all of his talking about how he had figured out how the Britannian prince and princesses fought, he had failed to learn.

Lelouch turned to look back at Shin. He was still leaning over the railing, Lelouch unable to hear if he was shouting orders over the screaming that was happening below. It was just fun to watch, like it had been fun to watch Ser Vincent realize what was going to happen to him as Ser Jeremiah had knocked his sword away.

Shin didn’t spend as long trying to figure it out, he rounded on him quickly. Lelouch raised an eyebrow as Shin swayed in place, but the stillness didn’t last long. The man strode towards him, his fingers curled into claws. “What have you done?!”

 “I’m resetting the cycle.”

For a moment, it looked like Shin would shake him again, but another set of screams caught his attention. Shin looked back over his shoulder, muttering a curse. “Tohdoh.”

“And Tomoe.” Lelouch grinned with Shin finally looked back at him. “She’s got things to settle with you too, but she’s more patient than I. I wanted immediate gratification. I wanted to watch as you figured out what you had done.”

“Bastard!”

Lelouch took a step back, retreating as Shin advanced.  It was surprisingly easy to keep his voice level in the face of Shin’s anger. “You renewed nothing. You saved nothing. You just killed yourself.”

Shin let out an inarticulate scream of rage and rushed at him.

Lelouch narrowed his eyes, stepping to the side as Shin lunged for him. He kicked at the back of Shin’s knee, bringing the man down to the ground.

Shin went down with a grunt, the man reaching forward even as he hit the ground. Shin grabbed at the squat legs of the brazier, the man hauling himself forward.

Lelouch rushed forward, dropping down on Shin’s back. He planted one knee in Shin’s spine, the pressure enough to get Shin to cry out and pull on the brazier.

It tipped over, Lelouch watching as it tipped towards him as he made his decision. Despite Suzaku’s best lessons, he had never managed the skill needed to win against someone like Shin Hyuga Shiang, not in a fair fight. His duties and Shina had kept him from practicing on the _naginata_ that Suzaku had gifted him upon their marriage. His best chance was holding Shin down until he brought destruction on himself.

He gritted his teeth and threw his weight forward, pressing Shin’s shoulders down as the brazier tumbled to its side.

It landed with a loud clang, the wood and flames spilling out. Lelouch glanced over at where the egg rolled out, but he didn’t allow it to distract him, not when Shin started bucking and screaming. Lelouch looked back at the man he was holding down before shifting his grip, grabbing the back of Shin’s head before forcing it into the flames.

Shin screamed, Lelouch gasping as the flames lapped hungrily at Shin’s hair and his clothes. Lelouch could feel their heat, and he was sure that any moment his hands would start to burn, but he couldn’t let Shin up. He leaned more heavily on his hands, practically growling down at Shin. “You _will not_ touch them again. Over my dead body.”

He didn’t think Shin could hear him, the man was screaming in pain, Lelouch’s stomach turning over the sickening smell of burning flesh. He turned his head towards his shoulder, pressing his mouth against it, but that was the only concession that he would allow himself. He kept up the pressure until Shin went limp.

Lelouch shoved himself away from the man, quickly stripping out of his outer kimono. It was still burning, the flames working their way through the silk. He stared at it in shock before looking back at where Shin was still lying in the fall of burning wood. Lelouch turned away from the sight of Shin’s ruined head, striding away from him.

Lelouch took a few, deep breaths, his heart still pounding from the adrenalin. He hadn’t quite thought that he would be able to do it. Incapacitate Shin, but not kill him. Lelouch was sure that the pain from the fire should have made him move, but he hadn’t felt anything but heat.

He looked down at his hands, expecting to see the flesh blacked, but they were normal. Lelouch lifted one hand, staring at it in shock as it flexed without a problem. He held it up to the light, waiting for something to change.

His father had dabbled in magic, trying to bring back the glory of their line. To the best of Lelouch’s knowledge, he had never succeeded in anything. And Charles couldn’t know what would happen, nor would he do anything that would help a son that so annoyed him. There was his mother to consider, but Lelouch knew that all of the rumors about people from Deira were patently untrue. They didn’t lie with the Children of the Forest, they were all long gone. C.C. had claimed that she was one, but Lelouch hadn’t seen any truth to her claims. Nor did the people of Deira control animals with their minds. All he had left were the rumors of the first Britannians that had come over from Essos on their dragons. There were always rumors that Queen Elizabeth the III and her consorts were immune to fire and heat. They had to be to ride the dragons. But Lelouch had seen enough of those who said that were of pure Britannian stock burn anyway in small, inconsequential ways.

Lelouch rubbed his hands together, looking around the room. He could still hear the shouts from the streets, which meant that the battle was still raging. He had promised Tomoe that he would stay out of the worst of it, a smart promise considering that his skills were severely lacking. Still, he could do something to help. Killing Shin Hyuga Shiang had been satisfying, but it wasn’t enough. He still burned bright with anger because Shin had ruined everything.

He hissed out his breath between his teeth, pivoting to face Shin’s body. Lelouch fully intended to kick it, knowing full well the futility of it. Shin was dead, slowly being consumed by the flames of the brazier. Lelouch was sure that the whole room would be on fire soon enough with the way the flames were licking at the walls now, making the jeweled eyes of the dragons dance. Lelouch felt a petty impulse to pry the jewels free, but he stopped himself. There were more important things he could be doing.

Lelouch went to walk out of the room and find something for him to do when he heard a soft sound. It was a miracle that he heard it over the crackle of the flames, but it was the type of sound that called for his attention. A soft one, like the ones that he’d heard Nunnally make when she was thinking hard about something. The sound that Suzaku made when he was waking up, just before he rolled over and practically on top of Lelouch. It was the sound that Shina made just before she started to cry. All of it demanded his attention.

He turned in the direction of the sound, staring at the brazier. The egg was half hidden under it, Lelouch not seeing the crack until something pushed against it.

He watched in shock as the crack widened until a portion of the egg sloughed off. Lelouch expected it to break with a snap, but instead it oozed, the black surface turning cherry red. The bright flash of color made him step back, Lelouch watching as the rest of the egg melted away.

Pieces of the shell reached parts of the floor, Lelouch watching as new flames spurted up. It might have been his imagination, but these flames seemed hungrier.

Lelouch took a step back, staring as something black crawled out of the red of the egg, something that seemed more angles than anything else. It floundered about for a moment before it managed to open its wings.

Lelouch started back again, intending to run from the thing in the fire when it made that sound again. It was enough to stop him, Lelouch staring at the thing as it wobbled to the edge of the fire.

He didn’t know what possessed him to walk forward, Lelouch only stopping to pick up the outer layer of his kimono. He held the burnt scrap of silk in his hands, turning it over and over before wrapping it around his arm. He stared at it for a moment before dropping into a crouch and holding his arm out.

The creature hopped through the last of the flames, tipping its head up to look at him. It opened his mouth, letting out a series of chirps before rushing over.

Lelouch winced as the creature dug its claws in, a few of them breaking through the silk to prick his arm. But it didn’t seem to be malicious. Instead, the creature just seemed to be working to balance itself, Lelouch watching its tiny purple and black body sway. It flared its wings, flapping them frantically all while making desperate chirping sounds.

He reached out before he knew what he was doing, Lelouch steadying the creature as he stood up. It flapped its wings to rebalance, Lelouch cradling it slightly as he turned. He could hear the roaring of the flames, could see them working hungrily at the walls. The whole palace was bound to collapse into flames, and Lelouch didn’t think that anyone would bother to look inside of the palace, not with the Kururugi troops charging through the streets.

Lelouch chewed on his lip, staring at the jeweled eyes of the dragons.

He and Tomoe had brought as many warriors as they felt safe taking. They still needed to guard the capital, even more now that Genbu was dead and Suzaku was injured. Lelouch was sure that the word had spread by now, and they couldn’t risk anyone else trying for the throne now that the shogun was dead and his son was unable to take control. There were bound to be others like Shin, others that would charge towards Edo and try to take away the place that he had made for himself.

He curled his free hand into a fist, Lelouch taking a deep breath before walking away from the fire. He didn’t doubt that their soldiers would prevail, they had crippled the defenses and they were driven by rage and the need for vengeance. They were following Tohdoh Kyoshiro and Kururugi Tomoe, who would assure them of victory. They were following the phoenix banner. That was all they needed for victory. But he had had never contented himself with what was just necessary.

He wanted to be sure that this was a lesson that stuck.

Lelouch turned and walked from the room, nudging the dragon into a better place on his arm as he walked.


	7. Chapter 7

Suzaku heard the sounds of a funeral, but they came to him distantly. It made a strange kind of sense, because he wouldn’t be able to hear his own funeral clearly, only the parts that were important to him. From what little he could hear, it was a proper one, more than enough to soothe his spirit and make sure that he remained gone, which was a shame.

He had managed to make it back home, which had been his goal from the moment the sword had cut into his side. He had to get home to deliver his father’s body and to see his mother, Lelouch and Shina one last time. Suzaku had managed that. Their soldiers had delivered a victory and then delivered him home. It wasn’t the most ideal circumstances, but it had been the best he could do. The ideal would be that he was able to stay with them.

Maybe if there was a gap in the funeral arrangements he could manage to stay behind in some capacity. He could watch as his daughter grew up and keep watch over Ashigaru like that. Besides, he wasn’t ready.

His mother and father had gotten years to be with each other. He’d only gotten to spend five with Lelouch. It was not enough. Suzaku didn’t know when it would be enough, but someone needed to watch over them. Shina was still so young, and Lelouch would let this fester like he had let the death of his mother fester.

The sounds of the funeral continued on until he could no longer hear them anymore. He might have breathed out a sigh, Suzaku wasn’t sure. All he knew was that he was back in that same place that he had been on the bumpy ride back to Edo, although this was far more restful.

Suzaku didn’t know hold long he drifted before he became aware of voices again. They weren’t raised in the laments of a funeral, or even the hushed talking that came around graves. There was something urgent in the voices.

Suzaku turned his head towards them, listening hard before opening his eyes.

He jerked slightly at the realization, hissing when the quick motion made his side throb. He reached for his side, Suzaku’s fingers sliding over his skin before reaching the bandage that had be wound around him. He explored the edge of it before carefully propping himself up on one elbow.

Suzaku pulled the blanket back from him, staring down at his torso. Bandages were wrapped around his stomach, Suzaku watching them rise and fall with each breath he took.

He stared for a long while, surprised at the simple motion. His head still felt hazy and heavy, but there was no denying the evidence in front of him. Suzaku swallowed and reached down to touch where he remembered the sword biting into his side. Pain bloomed at the simple touch, Suzaku jerking his hand away with a hiss. The wound wouldn’t hurt in death, he knew that much, which meant the funeral had been for his father.

Suzaku slumped back, closing his eyes. He had hoped that he had gotten to Genbu in time. Things had been lost in the rush of battle and the rush to try and get to his father’s side. Then Lord Hyuga Shiang had been there with his sword, and Suzaku had been caught unawares.

He shivered, opening his eyes to look around the room. It was comforting to be back in his rooms, although it didn’t look like he remembered it. Then again, he had left a while ago, and Lelouch would have been busy checking alliances and handling his ambassadorial duties, all with Shina running around.

Suzaku could see her rag doll sitting by Lelouch’s desk, right where he thought it would be. Although, to his surprise, there were a far less scattered toys than he thought there would be. There was a chance that Lelouch had cleaned up, but that wouldn’t explain the whirlwind mess on Lelouch’s side of the room. It looked like Lelouch had torn through the room and then left in a hurry. That would explain why he wasn’t there.

Suzaku opened and closed his hand, seeking out contact there before shaking his head. Things were bound to be messy after the battle. With the shogun dead, there were plenty of clans who would try to challenge, Shin among the first of them. He had killed the former shogun with gave him the loose rights to become shogun. It would take some quick moving to keep the rest from falling in behind him. There were plenty of clans that hated Genbu and what he had done to unify Ashigaru further. They would have to be pacified first.

He just selfishly hoped that it didn’t take long. He wanted to see his mate and his daughter, and Suzaku didn’t think he could get up and walk the halls. Just moving slightly made his side throb in a warning. Suzaku huffed and tipped his head back against his pillows, staring at the ceiling. He could stay still for now, but it would quickly start to wear on him.

Suzaku tried to settle into a comfortable position, resisting the urge to roll over onto his side. He was accustomed to sleeping curled around Lelouch, or Shina and Lelouch if she crawled into bed with them. But that would mean rolling onto his bad side. Suzaku contented himself with wiggling over to where Lelouch’s futon would have been, but there was nothing there. Nothing to indicate that Lelouch had been in the room at all.

He tried to work out the discrepancy, interrupted by shouting in the hall. Suzaku turned to look at the wall, listening to the voices continue to rise before he heard the sound of someone running.

Suzaku slowly sat up, bracing himself carefully. It didn’t stop his wound from aching, but it gave him a better view of the door.

The footsteps got louder until the door was pulled open. Suzaku blinked at his daughter, watching as Shina took big, gulping breaths before charging at him. “Daddy!”

He opened his arms for her, catching her and she grabbed at him. He grunted as she knocked against his chest hard. He lost his balance and fell back onto the futon, wincing as Shina’s arm dug into his wound. Suzaku shifted, Shina seeming to take that as an attempt to get away because she squeezed harder.

He gasped, reaching down for her arm. “Shina…”

“Lady Shina!”

Shina jumped at the shout, turning to look over her shoulder. Suzaku looked towards the door as well, sighing when he saw Sumeragi Momoka and Sawazaki Atsushi standing at the door. The two of them seemed to be held still by shock for a moment before the two of them bowed. “Shogun.”

Suzaku’s stomach twisted at the title. That belonged to his father, and Suzaku was sure that it would never feel right being applied to him. But he had no choice in the matter. He inclined his head, pausing when Shina whimpered and tried to burrow closer.

“No!”

Suzaku tipped his head, reaching down to rub her back. “What’s the matter?”

“They say I have to be shogun, but I can’t be, because that’s grandpa. They say I have to do it because you’re dying!” Suzaku shot the two at the door a sharp look. His aunt had the grace to look ashamed, but Sawazaki just looked mildly annoyed. He curled more closely around Shina, rubbing her back. That seemed to just encourage more tears. “I don’t wanna be shogun.”

“I know. You don’t have to be.”

“Ever?”

Suzaku opened his mouth to answer, snapping it shut when Sawazaki cleared his throat. He turned his attention back to his father’s minister, watching as the man bowed again.

“We apologize for the intrusion, we were merely taking a precaution. No one knew that you were awake yet.”

His aunt nodded. “We were just trying to settle things into some kind of order.”

Suzaku raised an eyebrow. “On the day of my father’s funeral?”

Sawazaki shrugged apologetically. “The _R_ _ō_ _j_ _ū_ has held off doing anything for a week in the hopes that the situation would right itself. With things the way they were, it was decided that it was better to set up a regency.”

“In case I died.”

“Of course not!” Sawazaki didn’t sound like he was appalled, just mildly surprised. “We were assured of your survival by the physicians.”

“I’m sure you were.”

“Suzaku.” His aunt snapped his name out, seemed to forget herself. The sound was enough to get Shina to whimper and cling harder to him.

He shifted so he could cradle her against him, pausing long enough to kiss the top of her head before looking back at the two at the door. “Aunt.”

Momoka sighed and shook her head. “Don’t be unreasonable. We were just acting the way we thought best. You must know what this looks like to the other clans. It’s inviting trouble. The _R_ _ō_ _j_ _ū_ thought it would be better to have everything in place in case there were challenges. And it would have only been until you were on your feet again.”

“And who would be her regent?”

“I would.” Momoka smiled a bit. “I have no duties at the shrine, and my daughter had been under her grandmother’s wing for years. She isn’t in need of my guidance, not as much as Shina.”

Suzaku held Shina more tightly, listening to her sniffle against his shoulder. “How did you come to that conclusion?”

Momoka looked insulted. “It was suggested.”

Suzaku slid his gaze back over to Sawazaki, the man not meeting his gaze. “The _R_ _ō_ _j_ _ū_ thought it would be best to have family watching over her.”

“She has other family.”

“Another Kururugi then.” Sawazki glanced at him before looking away and clearing his throat. “Everyone knew that the shogun and _midai-sama_ were close. Theirs was a bond that is only seen once in a lifetime. We thought that it would be unfair to saddle her with more duties. It would be best if she was given time to mourn, perhaps to even take solace among her own family. Her duties have kept her away from them for years.”

Suzaku felt a chill run down his spine. He tightened his hold on Shina, staring down Sawazaki. The man had the audacity to look vaguely uninterested.

He cleared his throat, shifting Shina until she was no longer pressing against his wound. “You would send my mother back to her home all alone, with all of this unrest?”

“Of course not. The _midai-sama_ ’s safety is our top priority. General Tohdoh can escort her home and back when she wishes to return.”

“You would send our strongest general with her?”

“Of course. The _midai-sama_ must be protected.”

Suzaku fought the urge to get up and punch Sawazaki in the face. It wouldn’t help anything but earn him an enemy, if he didn’t have one already.

He remembered teaching Lelouch the basics of the court, of how Lelouch kept begging him to go more in depth. Suzaku remembered laughing and giving in, listing off clan connections and the complex mix of alliances and old feuds. To his surprise, Lelouch had nodded along and then asked the damning question.

_“If that’s true, why do you trust him now?”_

It hadn’t been about Sawazaki, but Suzaku remembered the way that Lelouch had frowned when they had gone over the man’s connections. Suzaku had attributed to the baby kicking, but now he wasn’t sure. Sawazaki had been loyal, but now Suzaku was wondering how much had been loyalty, and how much had been patience.

He levered himself upright, keeping a hand on Shina. “What about Lelouch?”

Sawazaki pressed his lips together, the man probably too smart to say anything. His aunt, however, seemed more than willing to speaking up.

“Can we trust him, Suzaku?”

“He is my mate.”

“Yes, but he is Britannian. And the Hyugas have connections with the Britannian colonies. You may have given him a kingdom here, but is that enough for him? He’s probably just using us to get to the throne of Britannia.”

“Shut up!” Shina glared from under Suzaku’s arm. “Shut up!”

Momoka took a deep breath, fury crossing her face. “How dare-”

“Lady Sumeragi!” Suzaku snapped out her name, putting more force behind it than he really felt. It was enough to get her to be quiet, which was all he wanted.

He looked between the two of them, before lifting a hand to wave them away. “The regency doesn’t matter anymore. I am awake, and I am fit enough to make decisions.”

“But-”

“If you need me to make appearances, just prop me up on the throne.” Suzaku took a deep breath, the pause not doing anything to calm his rage. “Now, leave.”

Sawazaki had enough sense to bow and walk away, although it was too easy. There would be another confrontation, and Suzaku did not look forward to that.

He closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths before looking at where his aunt was still lingering by the door.

She held his gaze for a moment before bowing to him. “As you command. Shina?”

Shina shook her head and burrowed under the covers. Suzaku smiled and rested his hand on her head. “You can let her stay. She knows to be careful.” Suzaku paused, glancing over at the mess that was Lelouch’s desk. “Lelouch and mother should be told I am awake, shouldn’t they?”

He had hoped the hint would send her scurrying away, but Momoka frowned. “They will be informed when they return.”

Suzaku felt a chill run down his spine. “From where?”

“They’ve gone to handle the traitors that dared to attack the house of Kururugi.” Momoka lifted her chin slightly before turning on her heel and walking off.

Suzaku watched her go before looking down at the lump in the covers that was his daughter. He lifted the edge of the blankets up, smiling when Shina peered up at him.

She gave him a watery smile before peering out from under the covers. “Are they gone?”

“Yes.”

“Do I have to go?”

“No. You can stay with me. Just be careful.”

“You’re still hurt.” Shina looked at his side before scooting out from under the covers. She gave his cheek a kiss before curling up beside him. “I’ll be careful.”

“Thank you.” Suzaku settled back down, watching as Shina curled up against his good side far more carefully than she ever had before. He offered her a smile as he curled his arm around her. That seemed to relax her, although she was still sniffling.

He rubbed his hand up and down her back, tipping his head to watch her. “Do you know where your father and grandmother went?”

Shina wrinkled her nose. “No. No one would tell me. Father told me to be good and to listen to Aunt Kaguya…and that they’d be back soon. Will they?”

“I’m sure they will.”

Shina nodded and pressed her face against his shoulder. “I miss them.”

Suzaku smiled at the muffled statement. “Me too.”

He rested his cheek on her head, listening to the steadying sound of her breathing. His gaze kept straying to the door, Suzaku resisting the urge to hold her close. Until Lelouch and his mother got back, he would have to be extra careful. Genbu kept his council in line through personal loyalty, and Suzaku suspected that it wouldn’t carry over to him. Lelouch seemed to take to those situations as easy as breathing, but Suzaku was sure that he would just be stumbling through it. It would be nice to have someone to watch his back, especially when they had already tried to use Shina against him.

Suzaku nuzzled into her hair, holding Shina close as he tried to think his way out of the situation he had woken up to.

* * *

Burai shuffled placidly along, paying no mind to the squealing that was going on on her back. The most the old elk did was flick an ear back, almost like she was checking that Shina was still squealing from the right place. The soldier leading the elk wasn’t as reassured. Kosaka Ayano kept turning to look over her shoulder and reaching out like she might steady Shina or stop Burai in the hopes of solving the situation.

Suzaku shook his head, stopping in his stretches to call over to his daughter. “Quietly, Shina.”

Shina nodded and broke out into giggles, throwing her arms around Burai’s neck. Ayano allowed it for a moment before gently nudging her back up. “My lady, remember, proper posture.”

“Yes. Yes.” Shina sat up, holding still as Ayano nudged her legs back into place and titled her torso into the proper place. Shina nodded along with the explanation that Suzaku couldn’t hear. When they started moving again, Shina was in the proper position, Ayano walking backwards to continue talking to her.

Suzaku watched them with a smile, turning his attention back to his own exercises. It felt good to be moving after spending days in bed. According to his doctors it was too early, but Suzaku was sure that he would go insane if he was kept to his sick bed. His council was more likely to avoid him on the excuse that he was still recovering, and he couldn’t have that. The _R_ _ō_ _j_ _ū_ couldn’t get used to doing things on their own and to their agendas, not if he was ever going to be accepted. Suzaku doubted that too many of them were thinking about killing him in favor of the regency that would come with his daughter.

Yet.

He shook his head and stepped into the next sword form, keeping the motions slow and short. It was hard to fight against the habit to push himself, but he couldn’t risk more injury.

One step took him back to the porch where Kaguya was sitting, his cousin carefully sorting through the various notes and letters that were coming from around the country. Most were condolences on the death of his father. Even more included various reminders about their skills and loyalty in the hopes that they would be raised to his _R_ _ō_ _j_ _ū_ or to a new position. Suzaku was sorely tempted by the idea.

He pivoted again, breathing out slowly as he brought his sword down. It was a matter to be discussed with Kaguya at the end of the day. It could also wait until Lelouch and his mother got back. Lelouch had the crafty mind needed for this, born of years spent dealing with the court in Britannia and his mother knew the clans better than he did. He knew them when Genbu had them all under his thumb. What they were now was something that she was more familiar with.

Suzaku shook his head, trying to clear it. He didn’t want to spend every spare hour that he had thinking about politics, that was the whole point of him taking an hour a day to practice and get back into shape. If he didn’t, the position would consume him and he would never see his daughter except when she was bustled in for the morning and when he walked into his room to sleep.

Since the aborted regency plan, Shina had slept with him, although Suzaku wasn’t quite sure that he was guarding her. He got the feeling that she felt she was guarding him as well. His daughter was perceptive, she got that from Lelouch, but Suzaku couldn’t help but wonder if someone had explained the situation a little bit further.

He glanced back over his shoulder at Kaguya before letting the idea drop. He wasn’t about to discourage her, not when it could protect Shina. He just mourned the childhood that she couldn’t have. His own hadn’t been perfectly carefree, but his mother and father had made sure that he didn’t have quite so much to worry about. If Genbu had lived a few years more, maybe he could have managed it for Shina.

Suzaku sighed and finished up the form, flinching at the stretch of the wound on his side. He reached down to rub at it, feeling out the raised line that would eventually scar. The doctors said that he was healing well, which was good. Soon enough he would be able to face the council without them watching him like he was about to fall over.

He sheathed his sword, shaking his head. He hoped that time would come sooner rather than later. There were a lot of things that needed to be done.

Suzaku glanced up at the position of the sun with a sigh. His hour was up, which meant that he would have to go in and face the council. He lowered his gaze to where Shina and Ayano were still going around in a large circle. He would let Shina finish up her lesson, Kaguya would be following after her anyway to her next set of lessons anyway. Shina had already been very patient about sticking to his schedule, even at the expense of what she really wanted to do. He’d have to make it up to her somehow.

He turned to walk back to his cousin, Kaguya barely looking up at him as she set another note aside. She took a deep breath, reaching over to stack the notes in a neat pile. “The entire country sends its condolences.”

“As they should.”

“We even got one from the Dothraki.” Kaguya lifted up the piece of paper. “This one is my favorite because it’s the only one that isn’t asking for something. They’ve promised to have a feast in the Great Warrior of Ashigaru’s honor so that his soul may go to the great herds in the sky.”

“I’m sure my father would like that.”

“They also offer fine horses for the _khal_ , his _khalessi_ and their _khalakka_ should they grow tired of their leaping elk.” Kaguya giggled and shook her head. “It’s not an insult, I don’t think. It comes across as genuine considering that they renewed their pledge to hold their border against Chūgoku, although one never knows.” Kaguya tapped the paper against her hand. “They’ve been getting aggressive about biting into Chūgoku territory.”

Suzaku rubbed his sleeve over his forehead with a sigh. “That’s another thing to keep an eye on.”

“I’ll consult the gods.”

Suzaku nodded, reading between the lines of Kaguya’s statement. She would consult the gods and her dreams, but that was not the only source of the Sumeragi’s prophetic power. They were just as shrewd as the _R_ _ō_ _j_ _ū_ , although they managed it far more subtly.

Suzaku tapped his sword against the side of his leg, looking out over the courtyard. “There was a new _khal_ recently, one that fled from Chūgoku.”

“Li Xingke.”

Suzaku nodded. “We should try and reach out to him.”

Kaguya grinned. “I’ll consider how to express interest. But this won’t hold the border.”

“I know. But better to have someone there.”

Kaguya gave him a sad smile, reaching out to pat his arm. “This would have happened eventually.”

“Yes, but that would have been slow.”

Kaguya nodded and went to gather up the notes. “I’ll meet you at dinner with Shina.”

“Thank you.”

For a moment, Kaguya looked like she was going to say something else, but she was interrupted by a sentry shouting.

“Clear the yard! Clear the yard!”

Suzaku spun to face the gates, looking away long enough to see Ayano leading Burai and Shina to safety. The three of them moved out of the parade area just in time for the gates to swing open. Suzaku watched at the two banner men rode in front, their phoenix and dragon banners snapping in the breeze.

Suzaku sucked in a quick breath at the sight of the latter, hearing Kaguya do the same. Lelouch rarely ran out his own banner, the red dragon on the black background. He would only do it when he was needed as ambassador of Britannia, and those formal occasions were rare. This was a declaration, one that the entire country as seen as the host had ridden along. The problem was, Suzaku wasn’t sure if it was calculated. Lelouch was usually very thoughtful about what he was doing, at least until something threatened something of his and Suzaku was sure that this counted as that.

He swallowed and looked past the two banner men to the riders following them. He breathed out quickly when he saw his mother on her elk, and beside her was Lelouch on Gawain.

Something in his chest untwisted when he saw Lelouch there. Lelouch was fine and he was back.

Suzaku took a few steps forward before he realized that he was moving, but he didn’t care enough to stop himself. He needed to have his arms around Lelouch, to breathe him in, to make sure that he hadn’t been hurt. Lelouch didn’t know how to fight, not nearly well enough to send Lelouch out onto the battlefield. Then again, nothing would make him want to send Lelouch onto a battlefield. He wanted Lelouch by his side, safe and sound. He wanted all of that and the few minutes that he would get with Lelouch before Shina would run in and demand both of their attention.

He perked up when Lelouch looked his way, watching the man mouth his name before sliding off of Gawain. The reins were tossed behind him, Ser Gottwald easily snatching them up. Lelouch pushed his way out of the line, heading straight towards him.

Behind him, Suzaku heard Shina shout for him, sure that his daughter was already off Burai and running towards Lelouch. Suzaku wasn’t sure that he could manage a run just yet, but that didn’t matter because Lelouch was jogging towards them, something on his wrist moving.

Suzaku saw the thing pick up its head, the creature looking around before flaring its wings out and shrieking.

The sound stopped him in his tracks, Suzaku breathing heavily as he fought the urge to run. He could hear the elk screaming as they shied away from the noise and the creature that was starting to rise from Lelouch’s arm.

Suzaku watched the dragon rise, taking a step back. He couldn’t hear Shina behind him, but he was sure that she was there. Suzaku took a few steps back, ready to turn on his heel and snatch up Shina when Lelouch turned to look at the dragon. He spoke a harsh, guttural word and the dragon dropped back down, mantling its wings. Its head turned to look at him, Suzaku feeling a shiver go down his spine as its golden eyes focused on him.

Suzaku wasn’t sure what the dragon saw, but apparently it wasn’t enough to alarm it. The dragon yawned and climbed up Lelouch’s arm before making an awkward jump from Lelouch’s shoulder to his head. The dragon curled there, its tail falling down the back of Lelouch’s neck, Suzaku watched it twitch in and out of view before looking back at Lelouch.

Lelouch looked confused about why he had stopped, Lelouch extending his hand towards him. “Suzaku?”

Suzaku looked up at the dragon, watching as it yawned before tucking his head under its wing. It seemed like the dragon was more interested in sleeping than attacking, and it was so small.

He swallowed and edged forward, Lelouch following in suit. Suzaku kept glancing up at the dragon, his patience running out the longer it stayed still

He wanted to be with Lelouch, dragon or not.

The last distance between him and Lelouch was covered at a run, Suzaku sweeping Lelouch into his arms. He heard Lelouch and the dragons squawk, the sounds remarkably similar, but he didn’t care. He had Lelouch in his arms and he was not about to let go.

He nuzzled into Lelouch’s neck, smiling as he felt Lelouch grabbing at his back and hair until Lelouch was settled. Then he seemed intent on squeezing him as tight as Lelouch could manage. “You’re here.”

“Where else would I be?” Suzaku kissed Lelouch’s neck, feeling Lelouch shiver. “Welcome home.”

* * *

Suzaku watched the hatchling hop around on the perch that he had been given, his nose  pressed against the wood and leather. Every once and a while it would sneeze and fall off the perch before catching itself. The dragon would then laboriously climb back to the top of the perch and start the process over.

He shook his head. This was supposed to be the creature that terrorized the skies of Essos before Elizabeth III flew over to Westros in the midst of the doom that destroyed her country. Until it made its screeching sound, Suzaku almost couldn’t believe it. Even after that one sound it had subsided into soft snuffling and needy noises when Lelouch’s attention was elsewhere.

The dragon turned as Lelouch passed close, stretching out his wings and going to step onto Lelouch’s arm, but he missed. The dragon nearly tumbled to the ground and would have if Lelouch hadn’t caught him and set him back on the perch. “Really, Shinkiro?”

The dragon huffed and tucked his head under his wing, the expression so much like Shina’s that Suzaku had to laugh. The dragon didn’t respond, and it looked like it had fallen asleep.

Suzaku watched it for a moment before relaxing. Shinkiro seemed perfectly happy around Lelouch and wherever Lelouch put him. He also seemed to listen well enough, but Suzaku would keep an eye on that. Then again, he wasn’t quite sure what he could do about a full sized dragon that wouldn’t listen other than kill it.

He pulled Shina against his side, hearing her make a sleepy noise. Suzaku looked down at her, smiling as she pressed her face into the pillow. Suzaku gently tipped her so that she wasn’t pressed so completely against the pillow, looking up at a soft sigh.

Lelouch had dropped to his knees at the side of the bed and was reaching out to push Shina’s hair out of her face. He smiled down at her before leaning in to kiss her forehead. Then he gave Suzaku a rueful glance. “I was hoping that I could get you alone.”

“To check me over or…”

“A little of both.” Lelouch chuckled low. “I should have known better. I left without an explanation or…without doing much of anything. I was just so mad because they had dared….”

Lelouch reached out to run his fingers over Suzaku’s cheek. Suzaku turned his head to kiss the pads on Lelouch’s fingers. Lelouch scooted around Shina, Suzaku seeing his free hand reach out to touch her back.

Suzaku smiled up at Lelouch, sitting up so he could draw Lelouch into a hug. Lelouch was quick to drop his forehead onto Suzaku’s shoulder, Suzaku feeling him shake.

Suzaku shushed him, rubbing his cheek against Lelouch’s hair. He didn’t think Lelouch was crying, but it was all crashing down.

He had heard the official story, the one that his mother had presented to him while he sat on the throne and the rest of the _R_ _ō_ _j_ _ū_ glowered. Suzaku was sure that Lelouch had picked that up. Lelouch had kept close to the two of them, always with Shinkiro on his shoulder. It seemed to have worked, because everyone was eyeing the dragon as much as he had. That or calculating, and it didn’t take much to put it together.

As long as they had Lelouch, they had a dragon. That was probably enough to make those who still didn’t like Lelouch’s presence fall quiet, and he hated it.

Suzaku sighed, kissing the top of Lelouch’s head. He glanced over at where Shinkiro was sleeping on his perch. “You are going to train him?”

Lelouch laughed, the sound muffled. “Of course. If I don’t, he’ll be dangerous.”

“He’s dangerous now.”

“So are the elk, but you don’t worry so much about them.” Lelouch lifted his head. In the low light, his eyes were red. Suzaku sighed and reached up to cup Lelouch’s cheek, wiping the last of the tears away.

“Lelouch…”

“Shinkiro is my responsibility. I’ll take care of him.”

Suzaku nodded. “I trust you, I do.”

Lelouch relaxed at that, his eyes jumping back to the hatchling. “Shin said that he got the egg as a gift from one of the noblemen of the colonies for taking care of the shogun.”

Suzaku frowned, his hand sliding down Lelouch’s neck. He looked at his mate before looking at where Shina slept close by. “You think it was your father?”

“No. Shin said that he thought of the idea himself. Some kind of cleansing.” Lelouch shuddered. “But I wouldn’t put it past some of the nobles in the colonies to take my father literally. ‘Will no one rid me of this troublesome son?’”

Suzaku groaned, trying to think through the consequences. He knew that everything hadn’t been perfectly at peace when his father had been alive, but he had had things balanced, a careful line between cooperation and intimidation. He was untried and left with people who remembered him as a child, with an unpopular mate.

He smiled as Lelouch combed his fingers through his hair. “You too, huh?”

Lelouch blinked in surprise, Suzaku watching as Lelouch processed it before his jaw tensed. He could feel Lelouch shake a bit, Suzaku not sure if it was in anger or fear. Then again, he supposed that it didn’t matter.

Suzaku studied Lelouch for a moment before sliding his hand around to the back of Lelouch’s neck and squeezing in lieu of a bite. Lelouch gasped, tensing for a moment before slumping.

Suzaku let up the pressure at that, turning it into a gentle message. Lelouch made a soft hum, his eyes falling closed for a moment. Suzaku smiled, shaking his head. “You’ve been riding all day.”

“We’re not done yet.”

“We can do more tomorrow. I’ll need your mind for that, one that’s well rested.”

Lelouch chuckled softly. “We have a dragon.”

“And what can Shinkiro do?”

Lelouch was quiet for a moment before giving Suzaku a slightly embarrassed glance. “Bite people. Maybe scratch.”

“So we’ll work on that.” Suzaku slowed the motion of his fingers as he leaned in to kiss Lelouch. Lelouch leaned into him, whimpering when Suzaku pulled away. “Between the two of us, we can handle this.”

“There’s nothing you and I can’t do together.” Lelouch sounded slightly dazed, or it might have been exhaustion.

Suzaku smiled at him. “Yes. What is the moon without their sun and stars?”

“Sad and lonely, apparently.” The corner of Lelouch’s mouth quirked up, although the almost smile quickly turned into a yawn.

Suzaku nudged him gently, watching as Lelouch sunk down on the other side of Shina. Suzaku took his place on the opposite side, quick to reach out to run his hand over Lelouch’s shoulder. Lelouch was quick to grab his hand, twining their fingers together before resting their hands on where Shina was curled between them.

Lelouch was quick to drop off to sleep, Suzaku hearing him mutter something before moving closer towards him and Shina. Suzaku listened to Lelouch’s breathing fall into a steady rhythm, coming in between soft squeaks.

Suzaku turned to look over his shoulder, surprised to see Shinkiro’s golden eyes staring at him through the dark. Suzaku stared back, not sure what the dragon was asking until he saw Shinkiro shiver a bit. He sighed and nodded at the dragon, not even sure that the hatchling could understand him. “Fine.”

If Shinkiro didn’t understand he word, he at least understood the tone of voice. The dragon squeaked again before starting to climb.

He clambered over Suzaku before bouncing from Suzaku’s side to glide over to Lelouch. Shinkiro must not have weighed too much because Lelouch didn’t wake up, not even when the dragon tucked himself against Lelouch’s neck. Suzaku watched the two of them, expecting Shinkiro to put up some kind of fuss, but then the dragon started snoring, soft sounds in between each of Lelouch’s breaths. Suzaku rolled his eyes, giving the door a glance before letting his guard down a fraction.

If anyone was coming for them, they would have to deal with the dragon. Not matter what he thought, the dragon seemed to be attached to Lelouch, which was enough for now. The rest could wait until morning.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jumping back to pre-kid, post arrival in Ashigaru times.

Meetings of the Rōjū had not changed much since she had come to Edo. The two things that had changed were her position, from listening at the door or behind a screen when Genbu could arrange it to sitting bit his side, and the men themselves. All of them had steadily replaced their fathers, save for Kirihara Taizō, but Tomoe was sure that the man would never leave. He seemed determined to sit on the shogun’s council forever.

She tipped her head, studying him for a while before her gaze skipped over the others of the Rōjū. Kubouin Hdienobu from the Saga Han of Kyushu, Munakato Tōsai from Hokkaido, Osakabe Tatsunori from Yamanashi Han of Honshu, and Yoshino Hiroyosi from Kagawa Han of Shikoku. They were all arrayed in their usual half circle, muttering to themselves as they discussed the issue at hand. Tomoe thought she caught a few of them studying her face, like they were trying to figure out what she thought of the situation.

Tomoe pressed her lips together, letting that be her only contribution. What she thought officially and privately were two different thing entirely. As _midai-sama_ , it was taken for granted that she would agree with her husband, but only after the two of them hashed out exactly what they thought and what would be best. It was how they had always done things.

In that complex role, her decision was clear. What was best for Ashigaru should be her goal, and that was to be friendly to Westros and the empire that practically spanned its length. Britannia was strong there and strong through her colonies left behind by the first of their dragon riders when Albion had first reached out from Lundein. For all of her life they had been trying to clamber over each other and establish themselves as the new Albion in the absence of a stronger hand. Of course, they would say that they were loyal, it was just like what had happened in Ashigaru before Kururugi Byakko had started his grand reunification of the islands and their separate han. Britannia was distant, but powerful.

The fear of the shadow of dragon wings hadn’t gone away.

Their islands were protected by water and storms, but that might not be enough to keep Britannia’s colonies away for good. The emperor might have sated his lust for expansion, but that didn’t mean that his children or Small Council hadn’t. Lelouch was a buffer for that, temporary or otherwise. With him folded into the family, it might be enough to make Britannia forget about them for a while. If not that, then Lelouch knew far better than anyone how to manipulate his family.

Her decision as Kururugi Tomoe was a different matter.

She smoothed her hands over the front of her kimono, trying to look casual over worried. All of that wasn’t a matter for the Rōjū, that anger was directed at her husband and her son for behaving stupidly.

Genbu had gone over to Britannia to secure good will, not a treaty, not a trade negotiation, just good will as some of the colonies looked their way. He hadn’t managed that much, instead seeming to delight in spending his time spiting the emperor and watching the Britanian’s military maneuvers, perhaps a bit too closely. Clearly, it was more closely than he had been watching his son.

Out of the two of them, Tomoe had expected Suzaku to keep his head. She had told him as much before he had left. Perhaps that had been too much for him, because Suzaku was still young.

But he was still old enough to know not to go sniffing after the first omega that bared their neck to him, no matter how pretty they looked.

Tomoe breathed out her rage, realizing that she had let more than she wanted sneak out by the way that some of the Rōjū turned to look at her. Her proper station or not, they had all been on the Rōjū long enough to know that things did not exactly fall the way that they ought. She was no silent _midai-sama_ chosen for her family connections and kept secluded. Although, perhaps the Rōjū did wish she was that, or childbearing had kept her out of the way more often.

She swallowed, her gaze darting to the man on the other side of Genbu. It was only because she had been suppressing the urge for years that she was able to not snarl at the sight of him.

Sawazaki Atsushi from Kagoshima Han on Kyushu, Genbu’s _tairō_ and childhood friend.

Atsushi glanced over at her, Tomoe seeing his eyes narrow for a moment before his usual genial expression returned. The feeling was mutual, as it had always been.

A distant mother and a doting but busy father had meant that Genbu was often alone, and a lonely shogun’s son was in danger of people befriending him to use him. Atsushi, however, didn’t seem to want to use Genbu for anything in particular. He was from a good family and his star had been set to rise no matter which direction he had chosen to take. However, it was more than clear that he was jealous of his position. There was no room by Genbu’s side for anyone other than him, not even for her.

Tomoe tipped her chin up, surprised when Genbu reached over to take her hand. She didn’t look down, but she twined their fingers together through ease of long practice. It was settling and grounding. But it didn’t stop her from wishing that she could reach over and tear out Atsushi’s throat with her hands, or, better yet, her teeth.

But that wouldn’t be polite.

So she sat still as Atsushi cleared his throat. “Gentlemen, I feel we’re wasting time discussing the prince’s position as ambassador. He is here, and that seems to be final. It simply means a line of communication with Britannia.”

Tomoe watched Genbu out of the corner of her eye, waiting for the anger to surface. But, because it was Atsushi, Genbu was silent, if not indignant.

Atsushi paused for a moment before nodding. “The more pressing problem is the offer of marriage. We all know the young master’s thoughts.”

The men in the room chuckled awkwardly, Tomoe watching a few of them shift. Tomoe had no doubt that some of them had hoped to entice Suzaku into marrying their own heirs, if they could pin him down. Suzaku hadn’t seemed to show a preference to anyone; man, woman, alpha, beta or omega; at least until Lelouch.

Atsushi let them for a moment before leaning forward, turning the motion to a bow in Genbu’s direction. “We put off the young master last night, just until we got more information. The midwives have done their work.”

Tomoe raised an eyebrow, looking over at Genbu. From the expression on his face, he had known, but hadn’t told her. Genbu didn’t meet her gaze, her husband nodding slowly. “And their findings?”

“We have a matter of months to decide.” Atsushi hesitated for a moment before chuckling himself. “Of course, a lack of decision doesn’t mean failure. It just means that we have a child to tactfully acknowledge.”

“It won’t come to that.” Tomoe spoke up. “Suzaku will be stubborn about this.”

Atsushi’s expression faulted for a moment, Tomoe watching him take a deep breath before he spoke. “Then we will have to explain our reasoning. Suzaku knows his duty.”

Tomoe bit her lip, carefully packing her words away. Suzaku knew his duty, but he had his father as his example. Tomoe had never found out if any other matches had been considered for Genbu. She had been young and more focused on securing herself in the capital and the court than trying to figure out Genbu’s past affairs. It had never occurred to her that he had never had them. She had dabbled herself after all. The only thing that mattered was that they were together and happy. With that as his example, it was hard to imagine Suzaku doing anything different.

She squeezed Genbu’s hand, hoping that it would work as a preface to what she was going to suggestion when Atsushi beat her to the punch.

He turned to face Genbu, bowing deeply to them. “I humbly ask the shogun to hear me out and without judgement until I am done.”

Genbu chuckled, Tomoe seeing the flick of his hand as he motioned Atsushi to speak.

The man didn’t waste a moment, Atsushi sitting up with a faint grin. “I believe that this is too good of a chance to pass up. Britannia may not be threatening overtly, but there’s no harm in setting up a barrier. You do not take away flood measures if it’s a year of sparse rainfall after all. Let the two of them marry. After all, he’s a prince far down the line of succession with no army to speak of. There is nothing that can be a threat to us. But he is a prince of Britannia, which will be enough to make some of those colonies quiet down.”

Tomoe felt Genbu tense. She was quick to squeeze his hand again, eventually hauling on his arm to get him to sit still. As much as she wanted to let him go, he would never forgive himself for hurting his friend, and Atsushi was speaking sense, even if it was suspicious.

Genbu shifted in her hold for a moment before grunting and sitting down again. He turned to look at the rest of the Rōjū, giving them a long look. “And what do you say?”

Tomoe expected the nodding and the muttering, but she ignored that. Her job was to look at their expressions the moment they looked away, for the things that they would never show Genbu. As she expected, Kubouin and Yoshino were for it and their expressions didn’t change. It was just what she expected from the _daiymos_ that were the closest to the Britannian colonies. Osakabe was the one who was not in favor, but he hadn’t been in favor of anything since Kururugi Byakko had died. Munakto and Kirihara were harder to read. They were agreeing for now, but it would take longer to figure out what they really wanted. That just left Atsushi.

She glanced over at him in time for the man to flash her a victorious smile. Atsushi tipped his chin slightly, giving her a flash of his neck and nothing more. It came with the sickly sweet scent of him, Tomoe vaguely aware of the way that the others were shifting, probably in interest at the scent of an omega. It just made her want to tear into him more.

It was only a moment, and then Atsushi was settling again, pushing away his argument with a casual wave of his hand. “After all, the prince will only have the title of chief wife. There’s no reason there can’t be others.”

It was Genbu’s turn to hold her down, Tomoe hearing him grunt at the effort he exerted, but the sound was far away. More important than that was the urge to lash out at Atsushi, because she had heard enough of that.

After her second miscarriage, the one that was only barely away from term before they had died, the whispers had started about Genbu taking another wife. A beta or an omega. Even a younger alpha, anything so there wouldn’t be only one heir. She would still be the chief wife, the _midai-sama_ , and the other one would be no more than a walking womb, something to secure the Kururugi line.

She knew how that kind of thinking could tear at a person, could shatter them and break them down. It didn’t matter that she didn’t know the prince that well, she would not have that happen to him.

Tomoe took a deep breath, stopping her ire from spilling out when she saw the others nodding. It didn’t surprise her, and it was what she wanted but, in the face of Atsushi’s smile, it felt like she had lost.

* * *

The sound of the _naginata_ swinging through the air was sweet, Tomoe twisting into the next form without watching the path of her weapon. It didn’t matter, nor did her form no matter how much the well-remembered scolding of her father echoed in her ears. This wasn’t practice, this was control. This was so she didn’t take it out on the next person that she saw or rage through the palace until she could strangle Atsushi herself.

As much as she hated him, she knew that going without him would be worse. He was Genbu’s right hand, the one who had fought with him through countless battles and had been there when Genbu’s father had died. She had not. She had been away, rallying her supporters for him, but Atsushi had been there for Genbu’s mourning and the funeral. It shouldn’t have been a victory, because they both cared for him. Atsushi was his sworn brother, the one that Genbu could always depend on. She was Genbu’s wife, the star in endless orbit with him, the harmony to the sound of his soul.

But it mattered. It mattered all too much.

Tomoe felt something building in her throat, but she only let it out in a short, sharp sound before turning and stabbing the end of the _naginata_ viciously into the target. She thought she heard something snap, but she was too busy staggering away and gasping for breath. Tomoe turned away from the target, scrubbing her hands over her face.

She dropped them away quickly at the sound of someone walking over the gravel, sighing with relief when she saw Tohdoh Kyoshiro standing there.

He gave her a quick look before tipping his head to the side to look at the target. Tomoe heard him huff, the sound the closest to a laugh that he would make. “Atsushi?”

Tomoe turned around, the sight of her _naginata_ shoved firmly into the crotch of the target enough to send the rest of her anger rushing away. “That obvious.”

Kyoshiro grunted, walking over to retrieve her weapon. He held it for a moment, Kyoshiro looking uncomfortable with it, but that didn’t stop him from slashing at the target’s face. He contented himself with that before tossing the _naginata_ back to her.

Tomoe caught it easily, planting the blunt end against the ground and leaning against it. “I’m glad we agree.”

“Only a child would insist on having all of their friend’s attention.”

“Or a very petty man.”

Kyoshiro tipped his head, acknowledging her point. His calm despite the short burst of temper was enough to make her smile.

This was the man her father had wanted her to marry all those years ago, a competent and quiet man, one of her father’s best retainers. It would have been a smart match, but it never would have worked out. It was hard not to look at Kyoshiro and think of him as anything but friend and older brother. The marriage would have been awkward, perhaps more so once Chiba Nagisa had come around.

Tomoe narrowed her eyes at him, taking a deep breath. The result was as disappointing as usual. There was none of Nagisa’s sea salt scent, just the sharp metal that was Kyoshiro.

The corner of her mouth twitched, but she didn’t let herself do anything else. Things would work themselves out soon enough. She had faith in Nagisa.

Tomoe straightened up, looking Kyoshiro up and down before smirking. “You came for the news.”

Kyoshiro had the good sense to tip his head in assent. “The guards are gossiping.”

“They do like to do that.” Tomoe sighed and shook her head. “And I’m sure that Suzaku hasn’t appeared to help things out.”

“No, but I assumed his attentions would be elsewhere.”

“Firmly.”

“Then the rumors are true.”

“Yes.” Tomoe ticked the _naginata_ into a comfortable carrying position, nodding to the left before starting to walk. As expected, Kyoshiro fell into step with her. She smiled back at him. “Suzaku got himself into trouble in Britannia, and trouble followed him home.”

“How like his parents.”

“Quiet you.” Tomoe swiped at him with the blunt end of her _naginata_ , never getting close to hit him. “I thought you would have more respect for my position.”

“The _midai-sama_ has all of my respect. Kururugi Tomoe…I have seen far too much of to respect.” The corner of his mouth twitched again before Kyoshrio folded his hands behind his back.

They walked together in silence for a moment, Tomoe feeling Kyoshiro glancing at her every once and a while. She waited him out, far too used to him to try and urge him to speak until he was ready.

He sighed, Tomoe watching his head drop a fraction before he looked up at her again. “The soldiers believe it is a grand love story…or a great victory for an alpha.”

Tomoe snorted. “They don’t know the prince then. He’s a pretty thing, but I don’t doubt that it was his victory.”

“So you are against it?”

“Not at such. I believe that it is genuine between them and there’s room to grow. The political connections are not disappointing either. I just don’t like that I know so little about it. Suzaku is a grown man, but I have not grown out of being his mother.”

“Ah.” Kyoshiro went silent again, Tomoe hearing the faint sound of his fingers tapping against his hand. “There are a few soldiers that grew up in port town close to the colonies. I don’t think that the Britannians are so different to us that their soldiers wouldn’t gossip.”

“Do you think that they know the prince so well?”

“Well enough. But not as well as his chief retainer, the one that follows him all the time.” Kyoshiro frowned, coming to an abrupt stop. Tomoe turned to look at him, watching at Kyoshiro gave the courtyard a few quick glances. Then the general was dropping way, leaving Kyoshiro, the older brother and protector, behind. “My lady…about Britannian omegas…”

“I know.” Tomoe sighed and looked out in the direction of the Villa of Calm Repose. “I’ve seen him.”

She didn’t know his name, but the man ghosting the prince’s steps could be a problem. Then again, the prince was either not interested or had the good sense not to appear interested. Only time would tell.

Tomoe shook her head. “The prince won’t be foolish enough to make the same kind of connections that he would in Britannia. No one would allow it.”

Omegas in Ashigaru wouldn’t dare invite partners who were not married to them into their bedrooms, the suspicion that would follow would be too great. If an omega came from a good enough family or could afford to keep a mate and concubines, then no one would look askance. But to have affairs with retainers and other lords was unheard of.

“He’ll learn.”

She smiled back at Kyoshiro. “I hope so, especially after all of this effort.”

Kyoshiro grunted his agreement, his expression going distant for a moment. “And the young master?”

“Suzaku has made himself very clear. He’ll have Prince Lelouch and no other.”

“How like his mother.”

“Yes, well, the prince doesn’t look like he’d stand up to Suzaku in a fight.”

Kyoshiro raised an eyebrow. “There are many ways of fighting.”

Tomoe choked and reached out to slap Kyoshiro’s arm. “Don’t. I don’t want to imagine it. I am more than happy in my ignorance.”

“As you say, my lady.”

Tomoe weighed the _naginata_ in her hands, tempted to ask Kyoshiro to spar with her. The anger was still there, bubbling under the surface and she wanted to get it all out before going to speak with Genbu. The Rōjū had agreed and Suzaku was fixed, so the wedding should start to be planned, long before they were in danger of an early arrival interrupting anything. It was better that she was in a clear state of mind, or else they would end up debating with each other. And debating often led to other things.

Tomoe mentally reminded herself to request for her tea to be made and to be ready. With Suzaku’s marriage and succession assured there was no need to try for a second child, but she lived in hope. It would ease both of their worries. After all, Suzaku was very much like his father, a soldier. And far too many things could happen in war.

She settled for nodding to Kyoshiro, sighing when he held out a hand for her _naginata_. After a moment of hesitation, she passed it over to him. Kyoshiro nodded. “I wish you luck in speaking with the shogun, my lady.”

“If not, I’ll bring in Suzaku to shout at him. He’ll get tired enough to agree by then.” Tomoe flashed him a smile, hearing Kyoshiro chuckle. It wasn’t the best plan, but Genbu might just try to stick to his initial decision. Her husband could be stubborn like that.

She watched Kyoshiro walk away, waiting until he had exited the courtyard through the other side before sighing and shaking her head. Genbu wasn’t foolish enough to go against his Rōjū, if only because it would be an uphill political battle, and those were the ones that he avoided. Besides, he could see that it was a good arrangement, even if he didn’t like it. With that being the case, it might be good for Atsushi to be on her side. If anyone could help her convince Genbu, it was him. She would just have to swallow back her own anger at his presence and comments about his very available alpha sister, the one who didn’t mind being a second wife or concubine.

She curled her fingers into a fist, Tomoe taking a few, deep breaths before nodding to herself. She would tolerate him for now, for Ashigaru’s and Suzaku’s sake.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a little bit of Jeremiah/Lelouch in the beginning, but then we're back to our regularly scheduled Suzalulu.

Jeremiah thrust deep, watching Lelouch's body bend, their shoulders going down and his hips going up and back. It was a plea, a prayer that he was more than willing to answer. He couldn’t not answer, he was driven by the milkiness of Lelouch's scent and the slick slide of his cock into Lelouch's body.

He heard Lelouch cry out, Jeremiah responding with a low growl as he twisted. It wasn’t a threat, just a warning as he slid his hands back to grab at his hips, driving himself faster and deeper.

He was rewarded with another sharp cry. Lelouch reached back to grab at his wrist, not to push him away, but to ground himself. Jeremiah practically purred his agreement, leaning close to nuzzle into Lelouch's neck. He could smell lavender among the sweat and the honeyed milk scent of his heat. In the tightly closed room, it was the only thing he could smell. That and his own scent, the sharp citrus bite of it. It would never overcome the scent of an omega in heat, but he would try to make it do so. He wanted the whole world to know when they stepped outside the room that he had been chosen for this honor. He wanted this scent to linger for when Lady Ashford and the others came, because he had seen the looks and he didn’t like what they meant.

He couldn’t tell Lelouch who to choose, but he didn’t want to be left behind and wanting again. He’d had years’ worth of longing, and he didn’t want to suffer through that again.

Jeremiah shifted his grip, leaning closer to nuzzle into Lelouch's black hair, hearing him gasp at the closeness. He could feel him shaking, the ragged sound of his breathing meaning that Lelouch was close. He was close as well. He _ached_ with it.

He murmured a wordless reassurance, not that he thought Leloouch heard him. Lelouch was lost to pleasure, just where he wanted him to be.

Jeremiah sighed into Lelouch's hair, breathing out a name.

“Marianne.”

The hand on his wrist tightened abruptly, the sweet supplication of the body under him stopping. Instead, Lelouch went still, Jeremiah confused for a moment before he realized what he had let slip.

He licked his lips, about to say something when Lelouch rolled out from under him, moving away from his reaching hands and walking into the firelight. Jeremiah turned helplessly to look at him, swallowing at the sharp glare that Lelouch gave him.

The firelight threw him into sharp relief in shadows and light, making him look like the statues of the gods in the churches, except that there was no ounce of mercy in him, Jeremiah knew that. He had watched Lelouch hunt down the man that had hurt his sister and killed Lady Marianne, had acted as his sword against Ser Vincent, the king's brother and Lelouch's uncle. It was enough to get him to sit up, Jeremiah reaching out to Lelouch only for the prince to take another step back.

He watched Lelouch’s chest rise and fall, Jeremiah feeling dread growing in him.

It had been a mistake, a slip of the tongue. It was something that should have stayed in his head where it belonged.

Prince Lelouch was not his mother, Jeremiah knew that. But they looked so much alike, and he still longed for the woman who had raised him from a poor, but noble family. The woman who had trained him, let him serve as her squire and knighted him with her own hand. He had been her right hand, more trusted than anyone else, but still nowhere where he really wanted to be. He had watched her take the emperor to her bed and then, when Charles inevitably drifted away from her, the great houses of her kingdom. But never him.

It was right.

It was her choice.

But that didn’t stop the want.

It didn’t stop him from thinking about her every moment Lelouch chose him.

Jeremiah took a deep breath, shuffling to the end of the bed. “My prince-”

“No.”

The sharp word was enough to get him to stop, Jeremiah almost snapping to attention before he stopped himself. He watched as Lelouch took a few more deep breaths, leaning forward to catch the drifting of his scent.

He must have bene too obvious because Lelouch pointed to the door. “Get your things. Get out.”

“Your highness-”

“GET OUT!”

Jeremiah shrunk back, staring at Lelouch. It was an order, so it should be obeyed, but that didn’t stop him from looking for a crack. Any place where he could slip in an apology. But there was nothing, just anger.

He ducked his head, sliding out of bed. He pulled on his pants and shirt, gathering the rest up in his arms. Jeremiah snuck another look at Lelouch as he came around the bed, his heart jerking painfully when Lelouch pointedly stepped away from him.

Lelouch kept his distance as he made his way to the door, Jeremiah fumbling with words even as he opened the door. He swallowed, turning around to look over his shoulder in the hopes that there was a way it could be made right, but Lelouch was already back on the bed, the sheets wrapped around him. There was no vulnerability there, no forgiveness. There was just the order.

Jeremiah bowed his head to it and walked out of the room.

* * *

It was torment seeing Lelouch like this. A different kind of torment to the angry looks that Lelouch would shoot him from time to time and the smell of another alpha hanging over Lelouch.  This was definitely worse, watching Lelouch lapse into a listlessness borne of exhaustion. He leaned against the side of the carriage, staring out the window. Jeremiah was sure that Lelouch didn’t see anything, not really. He was only sure that Lelouch was awake because he would wince every once and a while and reach down to touch his stomach.

Against his better judgement he looked down at Lelouch’s stomach. The swell of it could no longer be easily hidden, nor could Lelouch fit easily into the clothes he had brought along. Lelouch had taken to wearing the robes that the rest of the people of the colony did. They reminded him vaguely of what he had seen the shogun and the prince of Ashigaru wearing.

Jeremiah swallowed back the rush of anger at the thought. This was the prince of Ashigaru’s doing. He had seduced Lelouch at the capital, where Lelouch was too far away for Jeremiah to caution him.

The Ashigaru did things differently, so they wouldn’t know the honor that Lelouch had given to their prince. They were more likely to laugh and think that Lelouch was just grabbing for power. They wouldn’t understand that Lelouch had chosen to carry the Ashigaru prince’s child instead of ridding himself of it.

Worst still was the quiet voice in the back of his head that raged that it wasn’t his.

Jeremiah shook his head, trying to banish the little voice. He had gotten good at it over the years. His anger could wait until they reached Ashigaru itself and he got to see how their prince reached to Lelouch. If it was unfavorable, Jeremiah would considered himself justified. Just what would happen if he did react favorably, Jeremiah didn’t know. That would have to come later, Lelouch was his primary focus.

He watched as Lelouch slumped further, wanting desperately to reach out and ease him into something more comfortable. But he didn’t have permission, not anymore. Not since the night he had forgotten to watch his mouth.

Jeremiah bit his lip, watching as Lelouch practically collapsed forward before he caught himself, Lelouch pale and shaking.

It was more than he could bear.

He shifted around the other side of the carriage, ducking his head in a quick bow when Lelouch looked over at him. “Your highness, with your permission, we should stop.”

Jeremiah looked up to watch Lelouch’s fingers curl. “No.”

The refusal surprised him, Jeremiah watching Lelouch for a moment before trying again. “Not for the night, just for a meal.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“That’s what you said at breakfast.”

“It still stands.”

“Then for the rest of us.”

Lelouch made a face, like he was annoyed at being redirected or embarrassed because he forgot. Jeremiah was sure that he wouldn’t get the answer either way.

There was a moment of silence before Lelouch waved him on. “Spread the word.”

Jeremiah bowed as much as the carriage would allow him. He paused a moment, taking a deep breath before straightening up. “And you?”

He didn’t imagine the way that Lelouch went pale, Jeremiah noting the dark circles under his eyes. That wasn’t a good sign, nor was the way that he shook. It made him want to reach out and support him, but he didn’t dare cross the space between them. It wasn’t a matter of feet, it was a matter of years. Still, he was Lelouch’s knight and this was a part of his duty.

“Your highness…it would be better if you eat.”

“What’s the point?” Jeremiah supposed that it was supposed to be sharp, but it came out sounding tired. Lelouch tipped his head back, looking at him like that. It should have been imperious or annoyed, but Lelouch just looked tired. It was the way he always looked now.

Lelouch took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “It’s just going to come up again.”

Jeremiah frowned, looking at him closely. “When was the last time you ate?”

Lelouch made a vague motion with his hand, like he was dismissing the thought. Jeremiah clamped his mouth shut, looking the prince over. He’d get the same answer no matter what, so it was up to him to take the initiative. He’d won them a short break, so he’d get the rest of the escort eating. By then, Lelouch might be more settled and more easily convinced to look after himself.

Jeremiah gave the prince one last look before leaning out the window to shout at the driver, watching as she reined in the horses. He didn’t wait for the carriage to stop before opening the door. He did, however, look back at Lelouch.

Lelouch was still slumped in his corner of his carriage, still pale with one hand on his stomach. It was not a picture he liked and something he would do everything to change. The best thing to do would be to stop until the baby was safely delivered, but Lelouch was being stubborn. The alternate plan was to push on to Ashigaru with all speed. Jeremiah would talk to the escort to see what they could do, but he was sure that none of them would argue. They were all Deira people, born and bred. They would do anything for Lelouch and his family, even rushing across Avrupa to get their prince to Ashigaru. And the Ashigaru prince better understand the honor he was being given.

If not, Jeremiah would just have to risk the anger of the Ashigaru and Lelouch.

* * *

Jeremiah watched Lelouch and his fiancé stroll through the gardens, trying not to bristle as the Ashigaru prince’s hand slipped low on Lelouch’s back, or when Lelouch pulled the prince’s hand to rest on his stomach. The latter were the worst moments, because the two of them would curl into each other and be off in their little world. A world that he was not a part of.

At the start of Lelouch’s pregnancy, before there had been talk of crossing the Narrow Sea, he had been able to imagine this was something of his. This was an honor that Lelouch had given him in recognition of his long service. That he had knelt at Lelouch’s feet and sworn himself against, in perpetuity, in life or death, to marry and dally with no other, because the prince of Deira himself was bearing his child. It had been enough to make him smile, because it was the life that he had always imagined for himself. After all, his sword and loyalty was all he had. His family name was nothing compared to the other great houses of Deira.

He had stopped being able to pretend that it was an honor to him when they had crossed the Narrow Sea and started their long journey. If this honor had been given to him, then he would have never asked this of Lelouch. To watch the two of them there made him want to shout.

The Ashigaru prince didn’t know that Lelouch had gone through to get to him. He couldn’t imagine the suffering, the condition that Lelouch had lost, the sleep and weight that had gone by the wayside. He didn’t understand that he was escorting around a mere shadow of Lelouch, one that was still sick and suffering. And one that was still hiding it from him.

Jeremiah glared after the two of them, hating that the Ashigaru prince was slowing down for Lelouch, supporting him as they continued their walk. That hand on Lelouch’s lower back had turned into an arm around his waist. They looked for all the world like a pair of lovers, which Jeremiah supposed that they were. He wasn’t sure if that or the lack of recognition galled him the most.

He looked away, giving himself a moment to check the position of the rest of the guards. The Deira guards were in position, as were the Ashigaru that were starting to filter in. That was at least a sign that the Ashigaru understood, although that didn’t come from their prince. They came from the prince’s mother, or the queen. Jeremiah wasn’t too sure which one it was. His grasp of the language was worse that Lelouch’s. A few of the Ashigaru guards knew something of the language of the nearest Britannian colony, but it always let to a fumbling conversation. Still, Jeremiah was sure that he had gotten the basis of it. If there was a chance to find the woman who was taking care of the prince, he would thank her.

Jeremiah turned his attention, back to the two of them, watching as they make their way back. The two of them were still talking with their heads close together, like they were the only two people in the world. Jeremiah sighed, tipping his chin up slightly.

Lelouch was still too pale, still unsteady on his feet. Jeremiah couldn’t tell if there was anything else wrong, not in the long red and black robes that the people wore in Ashigaru. It was the colors of his house of Britannia, as was right, but it made everything all too obvious, which was worse because the Ashigaru prince didn’t seem to notice that either.

Jeremiah bit his lip, his gaze jumping over to one of the Ashigaru guards. He hadn’t gotten her name when she was assigned to them, and he hadn’t gotten the chance before the Ashigaru prince had come rushing over to take Lelouch out for a gentle walk. That was the first thing he would do as soon as they weren’t needed to guard. The second thing would be to ask her how to inform her prince that the way things were couldn’t stand. Lelouch may be recovering, but their prince had to know and understand.

The sound of laughter got his attention, Jeremiah turned towards the sound. He hadn’t heard it since they had left Westros, and certainly not from Lelouch. But Lelouch was laughing now, cradled gently in the Ashigaru prince’s arms. The prince was laughing too, the sound low, but what struck Jeremiah most was the fond look on the man’s face and the gentleness in the way he turned Lelouch so they were facing each other. It just took that and they were in their own world. The two of them were too far away for Jeremiah to hear what they were saying, but the smile on Lelouch’s face said it all.

Jeremiah let his breath out in a huff.

The Ashigaru prince didn’t know the honor that had been handed to him, and Jeremiah didn’t think that he would ever know the extent of it. But this was almost acceptable. This was at least a step in the right direction.


	10. Chapter 10

Suzaku slid open the door to their room, pausing on the threshold. His fingers cursed around the edge of it, suddenly struck by the feeling that he wasn’t allowed. He swayed there, staring into the dim light of the room. He could see the familiar spread of their futon and blankets, and the lump that was Lelouch curled up underneath them, almost as small as he could get. His side of the futon was drastically empty, and he wanted to move to that, but it was the unfamiliar things that kept him still.

There was the lantern that was lit to the side of the room, the array of medical supplies kept by in case something went wrong, a teapot and little pots of tea, and Suzaku was sure that he could go over and name the blends by smell. There was the healthful one, the one that the doctor at the villa seemed to prefer. There was something sweeter, the one that Lelouch liked the best. There was his own favorite and the one designed to help pregnant people. And then the last one was the one meant to help them wake up and stay that way, for when the baby wouldn’t sleep.

He dragged his gaze over to the cradle tucked to the side, out of the way of the tea table and the lantern, but close enough to the medical supplies and the futon that either could be reached in an instant.

Suzaku rocked up slightly on his toes, trying to get a glimpse into the cradle, but the angle was bad. But things were quiet.

He sucked in a quick breath, ready to step back. Silence had never been a good sign before.

Before, when his mother had gone into labor, the only ones allowed in her room had been the midwife and his father. He had always been passed off to one of his tutors or Tohdoh until the labor was over. When it was deemed proper for him to come back, he had always returned to the sound of silence. He’d never been allowed into the room, or to see his sibling, but he didn’t need to look to know what happened. He’d heard the muttered apologies and seen the look on Tohdoh and his father’s faces. Besides, the baby would never return to the palace when his mother did, and his father would take more time to be with his mate and always in contact with her. In the night, he had heard his mother crying, and that more than anything proved that something was wrong.

Suzaku swallowed and flexed his fingers. It shouldn’t make a difference because he had been in the room through it all, holding Lelouch’s hand. He doubted that anything would have changed in the time that it had taken him to bathe and change clothes to make the official announcement to his father’s _R_ _ō_ _j_ _ū_. More wouldn’t come until after they received their name in the oshichiya, and even that was only to the rest of the palace staff. The rest of the country would be informed after she was presented to the shrine in the omiyamairi, which would mean calling up Kaguya’s grandmother to preside over the ceremony.

That was, of course, if the baby lived that long.

Suzaku shivered, clutching at the door. It was a danger, he had been reminded of that many times, but he hated the reminder. It had been easier when the baby was a vague concept, still nothing but a part of Lelouch. But now he had held her, and she had held him back, gripping his finger tight.

He leaned heavily against the other side of the door, closing his eyes. What he wanted to do was go and curl up with Lelouch, because he was exhausted. He hadn’t done any of the hard work, but he had stayed up with Lelouch all night and all day in solidarity, although Lelouch had called it hovering. He’d been pleased enough to let Suzaku stay and to practically crush his hand and fling curses at him.

Suzaku flexed his hand, feeling the slight sting of pain in it. He stared down at it, fully expected to see some kind of radical change, but there was nothing.

“Your…highness?”

He jumped at the familiar voice, turning to look at where Ser Gottwald was standing in the hallway. The man was practically swaying on his feet, looking as exhausted as Suzaku felt. Jeremiah had held his post for as long as the others, and it didn’t look like he would stop soon. He was sure that Sayoko would have something to say about that, but she had her ways of handling the Britannian knight.

Ser Gottwald stumbled through a few phrases half in Britannian and half in Yayoi before shaking his head. That was enough for him, Suzaku giving him a slight dismissive way. The man just bowed and continued down the hall, looking half dazed. Suzaku watched him go before sighing. There were an appropriate number of guards and then some. It appeared that, despite the attempt to keep the news quiet, it had spread to most of the soldiers. From the looks of things, nearly all of them had volunteered for guard duty among the usual guards that surrounded Lelouch. Having Jeremiah stumbling around sleepily wouldn’t harm anything. But it did mean that he would be asked more questions as the patrols went through, and he didn’t want to kick up a panic every time one of the guards spotted him outside of the room.

He turned to look back into the room, taking it all in before stepping inside. He pulled the door shut behind him, trying to ignore how it felt like he was closing off an escape route.

Suzaku remained by he door for a moment before pushing himself away. He gave one glance at where Lelouch was sleeping before padding over to the crib.

His daughter was asleep, one fight curled slightly like Lelouch had just managed to wiggle free from her hold. Or, more likely, the wet nurse. She had quite the grip on her.

He glanced over at the door to the adjoining room, the one that they had set up for the wet nurse. All seemed well, although he didn’t want to peek in there. For the moment, he wanted to keep this moment between the three of them.

Suzaku reached in to run a finger over his daughter’s fist and arm, watching as she burbled something to herself before settling back into sleep. He repeated the stroke, not daring to do more. He didn’t want to wake her up, not when she was sleeping so peacefully. The _R_ _ō_ _j_ _ū_ might not have approved of Lelouch or the fact that his daughter was part Britannian, but they had been more than willing to give him advice, mostly about the nights of no sleep that he would get. Most of them had seemed pleased that he was not shogun, if only because they wouldn’t have to deal with him being sleep deprived. That had gotten his father to laugh.

He shook his head, focusing back on his daughter. With her eyes closed, he couldn’t tell the color. When she had been born, they had been light, somewhat blue, but he had been told by the midwife that it would change. She had also been sure that she had seen hints of Kururugi green in the baby’s eye. A sure sign of her lineage and blessing of the gods, she had declared. Suzaku wasn’t so sure now, but he also didn’t remember his thoughts in the moment. They had all been a blur.

Still, he agreed with them on one point, she was the most perfect thing that he had seen, from the tips of her fingers to the light, barely there, fuzz on the top of her head.

He reached up to ghost his fingers over the top of her head, leaning back at the soft rustle of covers. “’zaku?”

Suzaku turned away from the crib, watching as Lelouch blinked at him, Suzaku seeing the moment where his sleepiness was replaced by concern. “Is something wrong? Is she okay?”

“Yes.” He moved over to take the hand that Lelouch was reaching for him with, kissing his knuckles. “I just wanted to look at her.”

Lelouch hummed, dropping back down. He looked a moment away from falling asleep, but he didn’t reclaim his hand. Suzaku took the moment to turn the hand over, pressing a kiss to Lelouch’s palm and down to his wrist. He continued down the inside of Lelouch’s arm, shuffling forward until he heard Lelouch huff out something like a laugh.

“Already?” Lelouch shook his head, reaching up to dig his fingers into Suzaku’s hair. Suzaku sighed at the touch, closing his eyes and Lelouch’s nails scratched at his scalp. “Cornelia always said that a safe delivery was as good as an aphrodisiac. She would know. Three of Ser Dalton’s boys are hers.”

Other than Corenlia, the names meant nothing to him. It was Lelouch’s touch and the sound of his voice that had him moving closer.

Lelouch chuckled again, Suzaku opening his eyes as Lelouch’s hand dropped from his hair to his shoulder. Lelouch gave him a weak shove, one that wasn’t meant to send him away. “Suzaku, I _can’t_. Give me at least a few weeks. A month.”

“All the time you need.” Suzaku closed the distance between them, ducking into the circle of Lelouch’s arms so he could rub their cheeks together.

Lelouch made a pleased sound, arching up against him. He returned the gesture, scenting Suzaku back.

His scent was changed now. It was no longer lavender tinged milky by his pregnancy. There was a bit of freshness, like the wind when it blew from outside the city or the river, or like clean clothes just off the line. It was the typical baby scent, the one that came before the baby developed their own scent after a few months in the world, but Suzaku wanted it anyway. He wanted to smell like the two of them so everyone knew.

Lelouch patted at his back before reaching over to flip over the other side of the covers. “Come on, I’ve missed you being able to hold me properly.”

Suzaku rolled off of him, sliding in behind him. Lelouch was quick to turn and tuck his head under Suzaku’s head with a sigh. “That’s better.”

Suzaku rolled his eyes. “I’ve been holding you fine this past month.”

“Not like this. There was either a ridiculous amount of pillows needed to achieve this or the baby was hogging all of the space.” Lelouch paused, his fingers curling against Suzaku’s back. “When do we name her? Eight days?”

“Seven.”

“Counting today?” Suzaku hummed in answer, hearing Lelouch sigh in relief. “Good. I’ll need that.”

“For what?”

“Resting and getting a list of names. I know enough to get by in conversation, but I know nothing about names. It wasn’t something Kaguya and I didn’t get around to that subject in our lessons.”

“Tomorrow.” Suzaku kissed the top of Lelouch’s head.

Lelouch might have made a sound of agreement, or it could have been his breathing evening out into sleep. That was better. The labor had been long and exhausting, exactly what the midwife had predicted considering everything, but Lelouch was alive, their daughter was alive, and that was all that mattered.

“Gonna need a lot of names.”

Suzaku blinked, staring at the wall before scooting back a bit to see Lelouch’s face, just to see if he was asleep. Lelouch blinked up at him, lifting one hand to card his fingers through Suzaku’s hair.

Suzaku leaned back into the touch, luxuriating in it for a moment before fixing his gaze on Lelouch again. “She’ll only need one. Anything else will be nicknames and titles, which come later. Unless…you want to carry on a Britannian tradition.”

“No.” Lelouch shifted so his head was on the pillow, groaning at bit. He pushed Suzaku’s hand away when he went to check on him, muttering something low and in Britanian that he didn’t catch. He settled quickly with a long sigh, his hand reaching up to take Suzaku’s. “In the Britannian tradition, she would have a name and the announcements would have flown out. In seven days, she would have been baptized and in a month, I would still be here, under observation to make sure something isn’t going wrong. Since we’re married, I would get to see her instead of sending her off to the house of her sire with the wet nurse.”

Suzaku shivered at the thought, clutching at Lelouch’s hand. “That’s horrible.”

Lelouch shook his head. “It’s not like you see them again. I saw my mother’s other children at least once a year, maybe more.”

“But for the parent…”

“Oh, a visit after the churching for sure, but the baby goes ahead. We’re not monsters about _that_.” Lelouch gave him a crooked smile. “We prefer to be monsters in other ways.”

“Lelouch…”

“I’m not as sweet when I’m sore.”

Suzaku raised an eyebrow. “I can remember at least one time you were sweet when sore.”

“If we’re thinking of the same thing, I remember that was your fault as well.”

Suzaku leaned forward to kiss Lelouch’s lips, feeling his huff. “You weren’t complaining.”

“No. And if I didn’t feel like I had been pummeled and torn apart I wouldn’t be complaining again.” Lelouch pulled back, an expression that Suzaku was coming to know as mischief on his face. “Give me my month, or however long they advise and I’ll be ready.”

Suzaku pulled back slightly. “Are you sure?”

Lelouch rolled his eyes. “Suzaku, I traveled halfway across the world for you. Yes, I missed you and our conversations, but there were many other specific parts of you that were part of my decision.”

Suzaku could feel himself blushing, but he was sure the light in the room was too dim for Lelouch to see. Not that he cared. He studied Lelouch closely, seeking something lurking underneath the exhaustion.

He reached out to brush Lelouch’s bangs away. “What are you thinking about?”

“The future.” Suzaku tipped his head when Lelouch didn’t elaborate. It took him a moment, Lelouch looking more like he was fighting off sleep. His explanation started out with a yawn, Lelouch looking surprised at it before shaking his head. “The common practice in an heir and a spare, right?”

“Yes.” Suzaku drew out the word. “But we don’t have to-”

“And there’s Deira to think about.” Lelouch frowned for a moment, getting a better hold on Suzaku’s hand. “It’s not mine, not really. I’ll never be able to claim it and I don’t intend to. I’ll give Nunnally until her birthday before turning it over to her, but she won’t be able to sire an heir. That’s a fact. She can adopt but the usual way is to ask from one of our relatives. There are…” He paused his lips moving as he counted, “three? Four if we’re counting me. It’s up to her who she wants to ask, but it’s a possibility.”

Suzaku stared at Lelouch in a daze. He was exhausted from the day, and he had done none of the work. The farthest in the future he could see was the next day, maybe to the oshichiya seven days from now. Definitely not towards a second child, or towards one that they might send all the way to Britannia, to Lelouch’s home that was nothing more than a name on a map to him. The very thought made his stomach twist.

Finally, he shook his head, reaching out to pull Lelouch close. “Later. Save it until…”

“Yes,” Lelouch agreed. “Until later.”

He snuggled in close, his body relaxing against Suzaku’s. Suzaku just smiled and rubbed his hand down Lelouch’s back. That was enough to get the last of the tension leak from him, Lelouch dropping back into sleep. It was for the best, because Lelouch was exhausted. _He_ was exhausted, but it wasn’t enough. He needed to make sure that Lelouch was alright, needed to make sure that their daughter was alright, and the best way to do that was to stay awake and keep watch, if only for a little while longer.


	11. Chapter 11

The city was bustling, as it always was on the first market day of the season. They were freed from the long winter along the river, and were celebrating just the way that they had when the river froze over. It was always wonderful to see, the humans celebrating the change of the season instead of ignoring it or complaining. The downside was that she now had to squeeze herself through the crowds that would refuse to move, or worse, stare.

C.C. tensed when she felt something slide along her ass, her hand dropping to her knife even as she turned her head. She saw the flicker of interest, even as the crowd swallowed him up. She rolled her eyes, but she didn’t take her hand away from her dagger, running her fingers over the twine that was wrapped around the hilt.

That was another bad thing about the first market day, there were all sorts here instead of remaining in the city. The market she frequented was on the edge, the one that spilled outside of the walls because there were so many vendors selling their wares, good wares. They did not brave the center of the city or work their way close to the rich neighborhoods. This was where the farmers she knew came, the farmers that she knew wouldn’t stint her. They wouldn’t waste time trying to determine her worth either. She was the one they would talk to for news, the one that they would call on when they needed help on their farms, or when the sickness that clung to them just wouldn’t leave.

Anyone else would have called her a witch, but they had other names for her, older ones. None of them were quite right, but she was happy to have them.

C.C. sidled up to one of the wagons, the wood touched up with bright paint and little scraps of fabric fluttering as a banner. The owner was an elderly woman, although she usually had her sons and daughters to help her, but it looked like she had sent them on to enjoy themselves or run errands. She was by herself, passing down clay pots of butter into a basket.

The woman chatted with her customer for a second before waving her off. C.C. stepped up to the cart, watching as the elderly woman’s attention snapped to her, her eyes widening in delight. “Lady of the Hedges! It’s an honor.”

“Delia.”

The elderly woman sat down on the edge of the cart, resting her arm on a cage with a goose in it. “Our thanks to you, Lady of the Hedges. Without your work, our ox would have died.”

C.C. shook her head. “It was just his tooth.”

“Yes, but you were the only one to look at it and know. I had all the village and the doctor that was travelling through look at him and they couldn’t find it. But you…you must have talked to him.”

C.C. raised her shoulder in a shrug. “It was quite far back.”

“Still, we thank you.” The elderly woman turned, digging around until she found a basket tucked away in a corner. She passed it over, C.C. taking it without a complaint. “Here. The snows got too deep by the time we had gathered enough.”

C.C. looked at the basket, filled to the brim with vegetables, fruit, strips of cured meat and what looked like a quilt. She patted the quilt, tracing out the patterns of the fabric. “This is more than enough.”

“It’s from us and Elena’s family, down by the edge of town. They couldn’t reach you before the snows either, and they’re barn raising today and couldn’t be here.”

C.C. nodded. “Pass on my thanks then. Tell them I’ll be making my rounds soon. I have my own things to put to rights.”

Delia nodded. “I will.” She went to stand up, but paused, frowning at her. “If you need any help, just send the word around and we’ll send some strong backs to clean up that house of yours.”

C.C. shook her head. “The house is fine as it is.”

Delia looked at her for a long time before nodding, accepting the peculiarity. It came with all of them believing that she was some sort of goddess, or at least sorceress from another realm, a mythological creature.

They weren’t wrong. C.C. didn’t know of any of her people that had dared to cross the Narrow Sea. Most of them had hidden where the forests still remained, or had gone north with the seers. They hadn’t been willing to leave their trees, but C.C. was a bit of an apostate. Where there were trees, there were gods. It didn’t matter which trees. The weirwoods were special, she couldn’t deny that, but a forest was a forest. A forest was home.

C.C. glanced through the basket, running down the few things that she needed. It would make her trip to the market all the shorter, which was better for her. She had been in the market for a few minutes and was already tired.

She gave the blanket one last pat before leaning against the cart. She glanced over at the others, picking out her route. C.C. skimmed over the knots of people, pushing them away for moment, at least until she saw how tightly they were clustered. It was the usual position for gossip, and to have so many people gathered meant that it was good.

C.C. turned back to Delia, raising an eyebrow. “What’s been going on?”

“You’ve been stuck in the hills, right? You and your sheep?” C.C. ignored the question, instead waiting for Delia. The elderly woman got up and started to straighten her wares, tucking them away as they talked. “There’s been big news from the Ashigaru down in their islands. Apparently, their prince has gotten himself married.”

“That’s news?”

Delia laughed. “It was a tough winter, and our viceroy is too old to marry, there’s not much chance of celebration. Besides, the way that the sailors tell it, it was a grand romance started all the way back in Britannia.”

“Britannia?” C.C. leaned in with a smile. “That is interesting.”

Delia scooted closer, lowering her voice. “Apparently, the prince of Ashigaru and his father went over there to try and strike a treaty and it was love at first sight with one of those Britannian princes. The name will come back to me.” Delia waved her hand, dismissing the thought. “Apparently, there was a whirlwind affair. You know how those Britannian omegas carry on, multiple partners.” Delia shivered and shook her head. “One partner is more than enough for me, knowing my Sam. More and I would end up in there.”

She gestured over in the direction of the great law courts, the tops of their towers just visible over the wall. C.C. followed the motion for a moment before turning her attention back to Delia as the only woman spoke again. “So, they carry on this affair and then the Ashigaru prince goes back home, but he’s left being the Britannian prince pregnant. So, what does this prince do? Instead of claiming it’s one of his lord’s or getting rid of it, this prince makes the journey all the way to Ashigaru to find his beloved. Isn’t that romantic?”

“And stupid.”

Delia shrugged. “Young people will be that, but that’s how they learn. Anyway, there was a marriage and a baby, something worth celebrating. Everything else is…nice to tell around the fire.”

C.C. smiled. “Yes. Something more than the same old complaints and the same old news.”

“There is that. Winter is a nice break from things, but it means you get testy with each other.” Delia moved to the front of the cart, flagging down her daughter as she walked past. “Peg, what was the name of that prince? The one they’re all talking about. From Britannia.”

Peg tipped her head to the side. “Lelouch, I think.”

C.C. took a quick breath, looking between the two of them. With that information, the story sounded right. She had only known Lelouch for a few years, but she doubted that his personality had changed so much. He would be the kind of idiot to get himself pregnant and go running after that alpha halfway across the world instead of staying where he was. It was the same sort of dumb romance that had driven his mother when she was young. It was the same dumb romance that was told to all of them.

She bit her lip, worrying over the situation before putting it out of her head. Lelouch was beyond her reach at the moment, and apparently in good hands if the stories were right.

C.C. nodded at Delia, giving the old woman her thanks before turning and walking back down the road. There would be another market and there was plenty that she could gather from the trees and hedges until then. Besides, now that the roads were clear, she would be going down to the villages and helping out in return for what food they could spare for her, which would fill out her meager stores nicely.

As she walked, she drummed her fingers against her basket. Her usual rounds would present a problem, but they couldn’t be dropped. They were what kept her as part of the community, which was important. It meant that she wasn’t run out of her forest because of her bright yellow eyes and green tinted hair. She was accepted here, which was more than what she could say for back home.

Britannia had run the Children of the Forest out centuries ago, back into the depths of the Gods’ Eye or far to the north. Even if they did appear, they weren’t considered the owners of the land, they were just the creatures who had walked on it before. Without a last name or a house, that meant nothing.

But it would be rude to ignore the occasion, especially since she had known Lelouch for ten years. He was practically family, which meant that there were certain rituals to attend to. Besides, she had sworn an oath to the princess of Deira, Marianne’s grandmother. It had been sworn in blood and sap, one of the most potent oaths that she knew of. She at least had to check on Lelouch and, by that same token, Nunnally. If Lelouch had gotten himself all the way to Ashigaru, that meant Nunnally was behind in Deira.

C.C. narrowed her eyes, staring into the distance down the road. If Nunnally was left behind then she might just have to lean on her old oath. There was no telling what Charles would do. The man was an idiot, at least from what she had seen. He would decry the deeds of his father and the civil war that had befallen the kingdom after his father’s generation had thrown their armies at the King of Winter and all of their forces, leaving the empire with an elderly king and no direct heirs. But, for all of his declamations, he was doing the same thing. After all, there were too many children dogging his steps, and he threw them to where he willed. He had thrown Guinevere to one of the viceroys of the empire’s colonies, and the rumors never ceased about her. The only thing that remained the same was that she wanted to kill her father for marrying her off to a fat old man somewhere in the far corner of the empire. For all she knew, Nunnally would be next.

Marianne would not like that.

She lowered her hand to rest on her basket, looking around as the people on the road thinned. What would help her was a donkey, but C.C. didn’t think she could keep it, even if she offered it good terms. Sheep were easy, sheep were dumb. All they wanted was protection and good grazing, and she gave them that. The price for them even made sense. After all, it was a rule of nature that some of them wouldn’t survive, to lose a few made sense to them. A donkey would not like what she had to offer, and would like her company even less. Until then, it was best to rely on her own two legs. They had served her well enough so far.

C.C. continued down the road, keeping and eye on the line of the hedge. There was an opening, right where it started to flower, right where everyone said that there was an opening into the other worlds and not to cross into it.

It wasn’t, but C.C. was more than willing to let the stories stand. It gave her a good hide-away.

She stepped through the opening, making her away allow the holloway between the farms and out into the hills. It was only when the trail started climbing up that she started to pay attention to the shapes of the rocks and their formations. It was always just a bit harder in the spring, because the flashes of the flowers were enough to attract her attention, for her to seek a pattern. But it wasn’t the colors that she should be looking for, it was the shadows.

C.C. paused at a shadow that didn’t quite match up with the rest, the colors didn’t match, the shadow too deep on the outer edges. The longer she stared, the surer she was. This wasn’t something that belonged here. She knew the earth, and this was not a creature of it, not like sheep and donkeys. This was something of sky and fire.

She tucked her basket further up her arm, approaching the shadow. It didn’t take more than a few steps for the shadow to move, one of the great wings untucking and causing the flowers to nod under the breeze of it. The head was quick to follow, rising up just enough to clear the rocks it had been between and turning to look at her. Now that it was up, she could see the cream of its belly and the flashes of gold underneath the deep indigo of its scales.

The dragon regarded her with golden eyes, turning its head one way and then the other, like it was checking that it was still her. Finally, it lowered its head, C.C. standing still as the dragon sniffed at her, the exhale making her hood and hair fly back.

C.C. allowed the sniffing for a moment more before reaching up to pat at the dragon’s jaw. “Yes, I’m back early. I picked up some good news in town, and we need to figure out how to act on it.”

The dragon pulled its head back, lowering it to rest on the ground so C.C. could be at eye level. C.C. nodded, rearranging her cloak. “We’re going to have to set things in order, and maybe beg a favor of a dog or a kid. There’s always one with free hands.”

The dragon grumbled, its claws flexing in the ground. It sounded enough like approval that C.C. reaching out to stroke the soft scales under the dragon’s eye. The dragon crooned, leaning into her touch before its eye snapped open, the focus urging her on.

C.C. nodded, bending over to fix the basket, shaking out the quilt before tucking the quilt around the items there. She slapped the dragon’s nose away when it went to sniff after the meat, slapping it again despite the growl and show of teeth. “You’ve eaten, I can smell it. These are treats, something for the road.”

The dragon gave an inquiring burble, looking her up and down before shifting a shoulder down. Its whole body tilted giving her an easy way of climbing onto its back through joints and spines. C.C. doubled checked her basket before clambering up onto the dragon’s back. She picked her way down to the base of its neck. C.C. settled there, looping the handle of the basket around a spine before threading her arm through it and grabbing the next spine up. She leaned forward, nodding when the dragon turned to look back at her.

There was a rumble that she felt through her body and heard, C.C. patting the dragon at the base of the line of spines and webbing that ended just before where she sat. “Home first, the arrangements. Then we fly to Ashigaru and find a place to tuck you away for a bit, until I can find a way to get you to your grandchild.” The dragon huffed in surprise, C.C. grabbing onto the spine again. “And then maybe a trip back home, to check on Nunnally. How does that sound, Marianne?”

Marianne twisted, C.C. swaying with the motion as the dragon took two galloping strides before launching herself into the air, C.C. grinning into the wind as it threw her hood and hair back. For a moment, she was not just a Child of the Forest, a creature of the earth. In flight, she was allowed to be a creature of the sky too.


	12. Chapter 12

The Godswood was quiet this early in the morning, and cold. Nunnally raised a hand to smother a yawn, letting her wheelchair coast along. She used the moment to gather the blanket and furs closer around her, tucking her chin slightly into the house coat that she had tugged on when one of the servants had brought her the news that she had a visitor requesting her presence. It was good manners to go out and meet with them, especially when they were family, but perhaps because they were family he should know better.

Her wheelchair rolled to a stop, Nunnally resettling everything to cover her more completely. The maesters hadn’t declared it to be winter yet, but that was from their comfortable home in the south. They knew nothing about Deira and the north. Even in summer there would be a snow.

A whine got her attention, Nunnally looking at where Nemo was looking for her, the wolfhound giving her a concerned look. Nemo hesitated on the path before trotting back to her side and nosing her hand. Nunnally smiled and leaned forward to rub the dog’s ears, staring into Nemo’s eyes. The dog stared back, Nunnally seeing the familiar spark of intelligence in them.

She smoothed the wiry fur back from Nemo’s eyes, leaning forward until they were practically nose to nose. “Are you still in there?”

For a moment, the dog was still, just staring back at her. Then came a purposeful nod.

Nunally smiled, leaning forward further to press her forehead against Nemo’s. “Thank you.”

She felt the dog’s body shake a bit as their tail wagged, but Nemo was perfectly content to allow Nunnally to lean against them. Nunnally dug her fingers into the dog’s fur, holding the two of them together for a moment before pushing away. “You didn’t have to come out here with me.”

Nemo gave her a long look before they flicked an ear and huffed. Nunnally laughed at the answer, giving the dog a pat on the head before motioning them off. Nemo carefully stepped out of the way of the wheelchair, moving back to the knight’s position, slightly behind and just to her right.

Nunnally curled her fingers over the wheels, taking a deep breath. The sting had long since disappeared, nine years had dulled it, but it still wasn’t gone. Nemo had been her friend, her childhood playmate when Euphemia wasn’t there and Lelouch was busy, the one she had intended to make her knight and yet…

She pushed herself forward, looking back at the wolfhound that trotted by her side. Nemo looked content for a dog, and maybe that was all that mattered. After all Nemo had done for her, she tried to make sure her friend wanted for nothing, and maybe she was succeeding in that. But that didn’t mean that Nemo would be around forever, at least as themselves. In all the stories she had heard about wargs, the animal had won.

She curled one hand into a fist, fixing her gaze on the giant weirwood tree that took up the center of the Godswood. There were more of the white and red trees scattered through the wood, but the one in the center was the oldest, far more ancient than the Aries Villa. It always brought her a sense of peace, the quiet wood with its layer of snow. But that didn’t make her stop thinking fondly of her bed with Alice warm and sleepy beside her.

Nunnally sighed when she saw the man standing under the tree, his head tipped back to look at it. There was a raven perched in the branches, Nunnally watching it bob for a moment before the raven turned to look at her. It gave her a rough croak before taking to the air. The raven gave the two of them a lazy circle, ignoring the way that Nemo growled at it, before flying off to the north.

Nunnally tipped her head back, trying to follow its flight, but she lost it in the foliage of the wood. She smiled, unable to stop it even as the man approached her.

She smoothed the blankets over her lap, lifting her hand for Nemo to stick their head under. “You know, I would have been up in an hour. Then we could have been in the great hall, and we could have been warm.”

There was a soft jingle, Nunnally looking up to meet her half brother’s gaze. Julius smiled down at her, his expression distant and glazed. It only lasted for a moment before he blinked and shook his head.

Julius looked around, seeming to be surprised by where he was, but he adjusted quickly. “Ah. I wasn’t aware of the time. Or I was…just not…” He frowned and waved his hand. “Anyway, it’s good to see you Lady Nunnally. You’ve grown since the last time I saw you.”

“That’s what happens when don’t visit and send your sister to the meetings.”

“She’s got status. I’m just the alliance maker.” Julius swept his arm out in a deep bow before retreating to the seat under the tree. He sighed as he sat down, tugging his cloak around him. “To be honest, I haven’t been home much either.”

Nunnally frowned, pushing her wheelchair closer. “Where have you been? The old man?”

Julius brightened. “You remembered! Yes, I’ve been spending most of my time out there with them. It’s a tiny place, you would shudder to see it.” Julius shivered dramatically before reaching up to rub at the skin around his eyepatch. “But it’s…something, even if introducing myself as the three-eyed raven doesn’t mean much. I’m more of a…two-eyed raven at this point.”

Nunnally bit her lip, watching Julius. She understood some of what he was saying, but it was all like the myths and stories that she had been told. Then again, in Deira, the myths and legends tended to have an edge of truth to them. After all, she knew wargs, one regularly attempted to steal the covers in her bed.

She shot Nemo a look, watching as the wolfhound settled down for a roll in the snow. Nunnally smiled, looking back at Julius as he leaned forward.

It took him a moment to realize it, Nunnally watching as his eye widened. Julius planted his elbows on his knees, holding his hand out to Nemo. “I see you’re the same as ever.”

Nemo paused in their rolling to give an unconvincing growl and shifting away. Julius made a hurt sound and sat back on the bench. “Unfair. And we worked so well together before.”

Nemo rolled completely over, keeping their back towards Julius. Nunnally watched them for a moment before shaking her head. “Nemo is still the same.”

“I expected as much. They would have to be to be able to stay themselves for so long in the dog.” Julius sat up, fixing her with a serious look. “I didn’t mean to wake you up so early. I thought that it would be a better time, but time is…” He waved a hand, “it’s weird for me.”

“If the stories are true-”

“Most of them.”

“Then I’m not surprised.”

Julius gave her a weary smile before rubbing at his eye. “I think we’ve both been very busy.”

“You’ve been watching me?!”

“Not all the time, just checking in every once and a while. Most of my attention has been up there.” Julius gestured towards the north, Nunnally feeling a shiver run down her spine.

She had grown up on the stories that had come down from her grandparents. They had been young when the Night King had marched on Westros. The stories were nothing like those that were told of the times before, they were told with fear and the hope that the children would remember. Nunnally was sure that every child in Deira did, but it was easier for them. The summer never really came in the north, so there was always the threat of cold, of the Night King.

She rubbed her arms, looking back at Julius. “What’s happening?”

“Nothing, all is…not quiet because there are still the spats between the Wildlings.” He lingered over the word, reaching out to pet the fur on his cloak.

Nunnally inched closer, reaching out to take his hand. Julius gave her a thankful smile, squeezing her hand.

The Kingsley family was a new one to the north, at least in the eyes of the Britannians. After all, it was a suitable favor for the man who had helped gather the Wildlings to act as an army to fight in the Long Night. The favor had gone further when Marianne had agreed to spend a heat with the current Lady of Crachton Hall to give them Julius, although there had been plenty of complaints. After all, the danger was long gone, and the people of Britannia remembered the fear of the Wildlings far better than the Night King.

Besides the Wildlings didn’t act quite right. The current lady hadn’t been Lady Militsa’s daughter. She was the daughter of one of the tenants of the Crachton Hall. They chose their next lord, just like the Wildlings had always done. The Britannians seemed to take it as an insult, which Nunnally couldn’t understand. The newest Kingsley would dutifully make their way down to Pendragon and swear their allegiance to the emperor just like everyone else did.

She squeezed his hand again. “That’s good to hear. And the Night’s Watch?”

“Still cold, still watching.” Julius chuckled and pointed up at the tree. “That was Rolo that I was talking to when you came in. He was just giving me his report.”

“You need a report.”

“Not really but this…I lose the human perspective with this. The three eyed raven cares, but not about the people and I don’t want to forget the people.” Julius gave her a quick side eyed glance, Nunnally seeing something fragile there. Then he was pushing it away, letting go of her hand and sitting up. “Anyway, all is clear as far as ranger or raven can tell. But I thought it would settle people if I actually told them that in person. A raven seems so distant.”

Nunnally watched him for a moment longer before sitting back. “Well, the others are coming, including your sister. Lady Desislava sent her apologies but the Wildings are having a...” She frowned as she sought out the word.

“A Thing.”

“Yes. She would be needed there.”

Julius sighed, a smile starting to cross his face. “Well, I’ve been meaning to speak with Delphina…if she wants to speak to me again.”

“I’m sure she will. Siblings are forgiving.”

“Even if you steal their favorite dress and spend an entire party flirting with the beta she liked?”

Nunnally winced. “No, you’re right. She’s going to tear you apart.”

Julius threw back his head and laughed, practically sliding off the bench. Nemo started at the sound and scrambled back to Nunnally side, growling at Julius.

Nunnally shushed them and stroked their head. “I suppose I could do something.”

“Yes,” Julius gasped out the word, falling to his knees in the snow. “Please, loving and caring half-sister, lady of Deira and princess of the Seven Kingdoms, save me from the wrath of my sister.”

Nunnally hummed before smiling. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you.” Julius stood up, bending over to brush off his pants. “I knew I could count on you, my lady.”

Nunnally nodded, curling her fingers deep into Nemo’s coat. She studied Julius for a moment before clearing her throat. “What did you call me out here for?”

“Oh.” Julius paused for a moment, his gaze going distant before he shook his head. “It’s just something I saw. I think the official news will take a while to get to you, but it might…help to know…” Julius took a deep breath. “Prince Lelouch is safe, and married.”

Nunnally clutched at Nemo, only letting up when she heard the wolfhound yelp. She smoothed her fingers over Nemo’s head as an apology, but her mind was far away. It had been half a year since Lelouch had left for Ashigaru. She had expected news to move slowly, and she knew that the guard that Lelouch had taken with him would never let anything bad happen to him. But it was one thing to guess and another to know.

She slumped in her wheelchair. “Thank you. I’m glad that you were able to see that.”

“Anything for family.”

There was something about the smile that she was given that made her shift in her wheelchair. Nunnally felt Nemo’s hackles rise, but she was quick to reach out and smooth them down. There was something there, something that she wanted to ask about, but perhaps it would be something for later, something out of the Godswood.

Nunnally looked at the face carved into the weirwood tree and shivered. It always felt like the gods were watching in the wood, but Nunnally wasn’t sure that she wanted them hearing what Julius had to say.

“Come, before we freeze.” Her voice cracked as she spoke, Nunnally glad that it was enough to snap Julius out of his daze.

She didn’t wait to see if he was all the way back, she just got a stronger hold of Nemo and turned her wheelchair back down the path.

**Author's Note:**

> Ashigaru – Suzaku’s country, fictional equivalent of Japan  
> Avrupa - The fictional equivalent to the Code Geass AU, situated on Essos.  
> Chūgoku – fictional equivalent to the Chinese Federation in the AU, located on the other side of the Dothraki Sea  
> Bracheley – Cornelia’s castle  
> Deira – Northernmost kingdom in Britannia, currently ruled over by the vi Briannia branch of the family (Consort Marianne and her children).  
> Mierce – central kingdom in Britannia, currently ruled by the li Britannia branch of the family (Dame Cornelia and Euphemia)  
> Rōjū – shogun’s council


End file.
